GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION 159 



multiply and the capacity be increased by natural selection in the 

 ordinary way. To be convincing, the development of the power 

 must be brought about in a single individual. 



The second evidence is from the production of " anti-bodies " to 

 the action of bacteria (see p. 141 above). Before this can be 

 accepted as direct adaptation, we need to know much more about 

 the nature of the processes at work here. Unfortunately, hitherto, 

 investigations have chiefly resulted in the invention of names for 

 phenomena without explaining them. 



Struggle for Existence. Some incorrect and mischievous 

 interpretations have been made of the meaning of this phrase. It 

 has been taken to imply a conscious perpetual warfare between 

 individuals of the same species. In point of fact, those races are 

 most abundant which rely on social co-operation to make use of 

 the forces of Nature. Darwin himself points out that he uses the 

 " term in a large and metaphorical sense, including dependence of 

 one being on another." 



The reader may remember that German writers defended the 

 bringing about of the late war, and the horrible way in which their 

 army carried it on, as justified by the "struggle for existence," 

 being a necessity for the progress of the human race. But when 

 anti-social methods are made use of by a nation acting as a wild 

 beast, it becomes necessary for the more civilised nations to destroy 

 that beast or render it incapable of doing further damage, notwith- 

 standing the fact that much that is valuable may be lost in the 

 process. Moreover, when a nation adopts the savage method of 

 enforcing its systems and ideas by aggressive warfare, it becomes 

 the duty of the civilised nations to oppose it by the use of what 

 might appear to be the equally irrational method of defensive war- 

 fare. But there is no alternative, and the onus lies on those who 

 started the process. 



Akin to the view of those who hold to the importance of 

 mutual aid as the chief factor in progress is that of Claude Bernard, 

 who points out that organisms develop by adaptation to cosmic 

 conditions, not by struggling against them. The living being is 

 not in contradiction to external forces, but is a part of the total 

 life of the universe. Bacon, again, said that " Nature is to be com- 

 manded only by obeying her." 



To avoid misconception, it should be pointed out that such 

 views as the above do not in any way lessen the urgent necessity 

 for effort in discovering new means of making use of the forces of 

 the outer world, and of the most effective ways in which social 

 co-operation makes advance possible, not only in science and 

 industry, but in the arts that make life beautiful. 



