THE MISSING FACTOR IN CURRENT THEORIES. 31 



sacrifice for Others, the whole higher world of life had 

 perished as soon as it was created. For hours, or 

 days, or weeks in the early infancy of all higher 

 animals, maternal care and sympathy are a condition 

 of existence. Altruism had to enter the world, and 

 any species which neglected it was extinguished in a 

 generation. 



No doubt a case could be made out likewise for the 

 imperative value of the Struggle for Life. The posi- 

 tion has just been granted. So far from disputing it, 

 we assume it to be equally essential to Nature and to 

 a judgment upon the process of Evolution. But what 

 is disputed is that the Struggle for Life is either the 

 key to Nature, or that it is more important in itself 

 than the Struggle for the Life of Others. It is pitiful 

 work pitting the right hand against the left, the heart 

 against the head ; but if it be insisted that there is 

 neither right hand nor heart, the proclamation is nec- 

 essary not only that they exist, but that absolutely 

 they are as important and relatively to ethical Man 

 of infinitely greater moment than anything that 

 functions either in the animal or social organism. 



But why, if all this be true of the Struggle for 

 the Life of Others, has a claim so imperious not 

 been recognized by science ? That a phenomenon 

 of this distinction should have attracted so little 

 attention suggests a suspicion. Does it really exist ? 

 Is the biological basis sound ? Have we not at least 

 exaggerated its significance ? The biologist will 

 judge. Though no doubt the function of Repro- 

 duction is intimately connected in Physiology with 

 the function of Nutrition, the facts as stated here are 

 facts of Nature ; and some glimpse of the influence of 



