VIS MEDICATRIX NATURE 639 



have gone to the making of Mankind some very fine pre- 

 human materials kin-sympathy, parental affection, the love 

 of mates, some power of control and of endurance, some grit, 

 and some gentleness. There are some springs of conduct 

 in us that were flowing long before our race began, and while 

 the water of some is bitter, that of others is sweet. 



The second consideration is that a study of the evolution- 

 process discloses a multitude of cases in which the reward 

 of success is given to types which are careful parents, de- 

 voted mates, friendly kinsfolk. There is abundance of el- 

 bowing and jostling, but many who have consulted Nature 

 have turned away before she has finished speaking. We 

 do not say that the extraordinarily laborious insect-mothers 

 are ethical agents; that would be a confusion of thought; 

 we say, however, that the objectively altruistic type suc- 

 ceeds. Nature stamps not only the beautiful, but the other- 

 regarding with the only approval which is hers to bestow 

 success in surviving. And, unless they are uncommonly 

 good hypocrites, many of Life's children behave as if they 

 found living good. 



Thus Nature speaks to our moral as well as to our intel- 

 lectual ear. Singling and sifting never cease, but Nature 

 has certainly another counsel besides whetting teeth and 

 sharpening claws. The limitations and difficulties which en- 

 force struggle and competition are often effectively tran- 

 scended by increasing parental care and sociality. Nature 

 is continually taking advantage of her children's capacity 

 for self-forgetfulness. In many races of animals success 

 has been the reward of subordinating individual interests to 

 those of the species. As a matter of fact, an extraordinarily 

 large part of the energy of organisms is spent not on them- 

 selves, but for others. Nature, we think, stamps not only 



