188 LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 



order to correct his disharmonies. "Even as he 

 has modified the nature of plants and animals Man 

 will have to modify his own nature in order to make 

 it more harmonious." 



In order to obtain a new race, one forms an ideal 

 in relation to the organism to be modified. " In 

 order to modify human nature, it is necessary to 

 realise what is the ideal in view, after which every 

 resource of which Science disposes must be taxed in 

 order to obtain that result. If an ideal is possible, 

 capable of uniting men in a sort of religion of the 

 future, it can only be based on scientific principles. 

 And if it is true, as is so often affirmed, that it is im- 

 possible to live without faith, that faith must be 

 faith in the power of Science." 



In those words, Metchnikoff ends his book on 

 Human Nature. 



The public at large and many critics did not under- 

 stand the deep and general meaning of Metchnikoff's 

 thoughts. They reproached him with having an in- 

 sufficiently exalted ideal, for they only saw in his 

 doctrine the desire of postponing senility and living 

 longer. They did not understand that to revolt 

 against the lack of harmony in nature, through which 

 all humanity has to suffer, not only physically but 

 morally, was to aspire to perfection. They did not 

 consider that, in order to attain that end, all human 

 culture and the whole social state would have to be 

 modified ; that this could only be done through many 

 virtues, intense energy, and great self-control. They 

 had not understood the elevation and power of an 

 ideal which aspired to perfect not only the direction 

 of life but human nature itself. They had not under- 



