376 MAN AN ADAPTIVE MECHANISM 



he evolved his strategy and acquired hands, which 

 later enabled him to fashion weapons ; to the period 

 in which he returned cautiously to the hostile ground 

 of his ancient enemies and with better strategy resumed 

 the battle by using the forces of nature ; to the period 

 in which he discovered fire, fashioned simple tools and 

 weapons, made dugouts, tamed animals and planted 

 seeds, thus making nature herself aid him to obtain 

 food and shelter and protection against his foes. We 

 have seen increased power accrue to man coincidently 

 with the development of spoken and written language 

 from mere symbols of communication. We have seen 

 that as man became more and more completely adapted 

 to environment, his numbers increased, until, in his 

 desire to possess the earth, he found his most formi- 

 dable enemies to be his fellow men ; and hence, with the 

 blood of man shed by man the earth has been deluged. 

 We see that this human animal is exceedingly prone 

 to kill, because his evolution has depended upon his 

 ability to conquer brute animals and his fellow man. 

 We see that his two most complete adaptations are 

 those of killing and procreating the inevitable sequel 

 of the primal needs for self-preservation and for the 

 preservation of his species. 



The most powerful activator of the kinetic system 

 of man to-day is his fellow man. This is the enemy he 

 most fears. In the midst of plenty he strives for 

 more. He is at war with his fellows in business, in 

 education, in the arts, in the professions, in philan- 

 thropy and in winning mates. There is no game nor 

 sport that is not a battle. Even the toddling child, 

 when pursued, turns at bay when captured ; an ob- 



