xx PREFACE 



regular operation of the forces of Nature with a view 

 to prevent the preservation of intermediate forms, 

 while He suffered them to preserve those finished 

 forms which are contained in the geological record. 



The Second Book of this work, which deals with the 

 Law of Population, is, properly understood, a continua- 

 tion of my argument against Natural Selection or the 

 Survival of the Fittest the arena being transferred 

 from the wild life of Nature to mankind joined together 

 in the social bond. 



The demonstration of the fact that population is so 

 related to its food supply that the former cannot 

 increase without an antecedent increase of the latter, 

 is not only destructive of the pessimism of the Mal- 

 thusian theory, but lends itself to the most optimistic 

 hopes entertained of human progress. 



I have also endeavoured to demonstrate that the 

 competition which we witness in the various depart- 

 ments of human activity has not only no correspond- 

 ence with Natural Selection or the Survival of the 

 Fittest, but is Nature's ordinance for developing and 

 making the most of the individual to the end of 

 raising the status and elevating the standard of 

 comfort of the whole community. 



