70 Social Environment 



become almost wholly artificial through a 

 rational system of eugenics. 



With the historic period, the social inherit- 

 ance became immensely greater in volume and 

 importance. Custom and tradition grew more 

 flexible, conduct was systematized by law, 

 political and industrial organization crystal- 

 lized into institutions, knowledge of nature 

 grew into sciences, while the core of civiliza- 

 tion expressed itself in literatures and religions 

 which exercised sway over the emotional basis 

 of human action. 



5. The Dynamic Element in Society 



In accordance with the materialistic point 

 of view of modern times, it has become cus- 

 tomary to regard the industrial elements of 

 the social heritage as largely determining the 

 more idealistic elements. It is assumed that 

 religion, for example, grows out of the strug- 

 gle for a livelihood. That there is a close cor- 

 relation between the economic and the idealistic 

 is evident, but that the former determines the 

 latter is not so evident. According to the 

 usual view, the social standards expressed in 

 religion and literature must always lag behind 

 economic progress, since they cannot be begun 



