CHAPTER IX 

 PROGRESS IN EVOLUTION 



§ 1. What is Meant by Progress ? — §2. Progress a Fact. — §3. A 

 Contribution to a Critique of Progress. — § 4. Towards a 

 New Stoicism. — § 5. Looking Forwards. 



§ 1. What is Meant by Pkogress ? 



WHEN we ask if the gardener is making progress 

 Wxth his work, if the patient is making progress 

 towards health, if the investigation is making progress 

 towards a solution of the problem, every one knows 

 what we mean by progress. We mean getting nearer 

 a desired result, which is clearly defined. But what 

 do we mean when we speak of the progress of the human 

 race or of a nationality ? We cannot say that we mean 

 evolution or improvement or betterment, for that is 

 merely using another word. It is not satisfactory to 

 say that progress is movement to a desired result, for 

 what is the criterion of the value of the desired result ? 

 It is a common argument in favour of some scheme that 

 it makes for progress. But what is this mysterious 

 progress, this racial, or national, or civic progress ? 



Cosmic Development. — ^Long, long ago our solar system 

 was established around a central sun. It seems Hkely 



256 



