16 SUPER-ORGANIC EVOLUTION 



sidereal world to man. The theory of Kant and 

 Laplace gives an idea of a cosmogony starting from 

 a primitive nebula. Lyell justified the doctrine of 

 the periodic evolution of the world, thus destroying 

 the theory of the cataclysms of Cuvier ; Lamarck 

 and Darwin proved the evolution of the vegetable 

 and animal world ; and Herbert Spencer, by a 

 summary of all these evolutions, founded the great 

 system of positive philosophy, only that on arriving 

 at social evolution, instead of applying the same 

 principles, he turned aside from the evolutive 

 system, and did not see an aberration of evolution 

 in humanity due to capitalism. 



I will divide this programme into two parts. In 

 the first I propose to show how the social organ- 

 ism is in complete disaccord with the theory of 

 evolution. In the second I will prove how it is 

 possible that a society organised according to 

 the laws of the said theory becomes susceptible of 

 a rapid and indefinite development. 



Humanity will be able to advance its most 

 natural and noble aspiration, which ought not to 

 be relegated to one of many insoluble problems 

 like the squaring of a circle, albeit the immense 

 majority of men think differently. Ossip Lourie 

 says : " To live is to aspire to happiness. The 

 desire of happiness exists in man like the principle 

 of life." 



