THE ELEMENTS OF ORGANIC EVOLUTION. 



89 



By good or right in human development we mean 

 simply the opportunity for more life or higher life. 

 That is good which makes me strong and gives strength 

 to my neighbours. Might does not make right, but what- 

 ever is right will justify itself in persistence, and per- 

 sistence is strength. That which is weak dies. We 

 only know God's purposes by what he permits. That 

 which persists and grows must be in line with such pur- 

 poses. A law is only an observed generalization of 

 what is. There is no law which reads, " This and this 

 ought to be, but is not." 



V. Self -activity. — Another factor in evolution is fur- 

 nished by the functional activity of the individual. 

 Nature is a thrifty investor. She withdraws all unused 

 capital. The old parable of the talents, wherein the 

 owner of the unused talent lost all that he had, describes 

 the workings of Nature. The unused organ loses its 

 power and dwindles away. What comes out of a man de- 

 termines his character. What he has done in the past 

 furnishes the law of his future. The essence of indi- 

 vidual character building, with the lower animals as with 

 man, lies in action. Whatever he is he must make of 

 himself. Heredity only furnishes the tools, and the en- 

 vironment is the leverage. Nor is this great law con- 

 fined to animals alone. Even with plants the function 

 must justify the organ. The branch which does not 

 carry sap withers and dies. The fruit which does not 

 ripen is cast to the ground. In a sense, too, the func- 

 tion must precede the organ. Where something is to 

 be done, there will arise a special method of doing it, 

 and the organ which supplies this better method will 

 survive in natural selection. 



Among the higher animals functional activity is the 

 basis of individual happiness. There is no permanent 

 feeling of joy except through functional activity. Dis- 



