THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE 239 



do, every act and phenomenon of Nature, from an act 

 of chemical attraction or repulsion to a conclusion of 

 the mind : for every manifestation of natural activity 

 is necessarily an evidence of Natural Selection. 



But if we understand Natural Selection in its 

 Darwinian sense as meaning the survival of the 

 fittest, I do not think it applies to human life. 

 Those who are outstripped by more successful men 

 are not thereby destroyed, or driven to the wall ; nay, 

 they are in no way defrauded of any part of their due 

 share in the labour market, nor are they prevented 

 from advancing as far as their own capacities can 

 carry them. It is true, some believe that they have 

 a right to complain when places to which they were 

 hopeful of being promoted are given to others as the 

 reward of greater industry or superior ability, or are 

 attained as the gift of fortune by favour or influence. 

 But they do not complain of being driven to the wall, 

 inasmuch as they remain where they were in the 

 labour market. They have not been exterminated : 

 they survive. Successful men also, while they do not 

 depress those whom they outstrip, in almost every case 

 lift up others relatives, friends, or dependants and 

 secure for them advancement which they would not, 

 perhaps, attain otherwise. But we may bring higher 

 considerations to bear upon this question. Individual 

 differentiation is the essential condition of man in 

 any organised society. Men are not born equal, nor 

 born to be equal. For if they were, the individual 

 differentiation would not be so great or so extremely 



