172 ADAPTATION AND PROGRESS 



In his discussion of the inborn content of consciousness, Rat- 

 zenhofer brings out a detailed analysis of interest which is one of 

 his greatest contributions to sociology and especially to the 

 development of the doctrine of adaptation. 



As soon as the male germ cell has united with the ovum the following 

 dynamic phenomena (Krafterscheinungen) are present: l 



1. The Urkraft differentiated into life to which we ascribe in general the 

 power of bringing forth the whole developmental series, and through which 

 the organized life is in relation to the cosmic forces. There is also present 

 the impulse to try out all lif e-situations in order to produce the most complete 

 creature possible. Thus this inherent life-power struggles against the 

 barriers set by its environment, but in the sense of an inner impulse to ever 

 larger life, in accordance with the universal law of adaptation. This struggle 

 for the largest possible life brings the individual into conflict with other 

 individuals and thus makes room for the Darwinian doctrine of selection. 2 



2. The inborn interest differentiated into several phenomenal forms by 

 means of the life conditions under which the individual is developing as 

 follows: 



(a) The racial interest which has the peculiar characteristic of maintaining, 

 through reproduction, the species to which the creature belongs; 3 . . . 



(b) The physiological interest, in general taken over from the mother 

 as the new creature is a continuation of her physiological activity, . . . 

 impels to a search for food and leads to the development of all other life 

 interests; . . . 



(c) In higher forms these original interests become differentiated, the 

 physiological into an individual interest which has to do with the maintenance 

 and development of individual life; 4 . . . 



(d) The racial interest which because of the physiological connection 

 between the individual and his ancestry easily expands to a social interest. 

 The emotion of love is connected with this social interest but also with the 

 sex impulse. Together they form the basis of the family. 



These various interests often come into conflict; for example, 

 the individual with the social, and the social with the racial. 

 Under great temptation a man may force into the background 

 his interest in his country, as the traitor; or a man may give 

 this interest preeminence, self-interest and interest in family 

 being thrust back, as the patriot in time of war. " In the lordship 

 of the individual interest man sees himself not merely physiolog- 

 ically but really, as the center of the universe while in the lordship 



1 Erkenntnis, pp. 56 f. z Cf. ibid., p. 44. 3 Cf. Soziologie, pp. 68 f. 



4 Ratzenhofer accepts Spencer's law that individuation and fecundity are in- 

 versely proportional. Man is able to thwart the purposes of the Urkraft by sup- 

 pressing the racial interest and living only for self. 



