260 THE CONTROL OF LIFE 



When we contrast the Bird and Mammal world with 

 the world before they emerged, we say " progress," 

 meaning movement towards the actualisation of what 

 we regard as of the highest value. We have a gamut 

 of millions of years and we get a good contrast. But 

 can the same be said of the much shorter span covered 

 by human history. Is not humanity like Sisyphus, ever 

 rolling the stone up the hill, only to have it tumble down 

 again ? And yet, whoever doubts human progress 

 should think of our ancestors — as ^Eschylus pictured 

 them — living in caves, without fire, without wood-work, 

 without system, without seasons, without foresight. 

 A fairly accurate picture to be contrasted with Man's 

 conditions to-day. As we have already said, modern 

 Man has made the ether carry his messages ; he can 

 hear from afar the cry of the ship in distress upon the 

 sea ; he can make Niagara drive mills and illumine 

 cities hundreds of miles from the Falls. Science has 

 harnessed electricity to Man's chariot, and added the 

 depths of the sea and the heights of the air to his navig- 

 able kingdom. Already Science is making bread out 

 of the thin air, working miracles in the conquest of 

 plague and pestilence, and controlling the inheritance 

 of generations unborn. Can anyone doubt human 

 progress on a long view ? 



§ 2. Progress a Fact 

 The facts of organic evolution, considered broadly, 

 compel us to believe in progress, and the same is prob- 

 ably true in regard to human history. But reasoned 



