562 NATURE CROWNED IN MAN 



rise to some glorious expression of unified life, are not com- 

 parable to species or to varieties of animals, but are united 

 by bonds quite different from those of blood-relationship. 

 Two nations at war are not closely comparable to two species 

 of animals in internecine competition, if we admit that there 

 are secure instances of this to be found. One difference is 

 that a nation is not a kin-unit as a species is, and another 

 difference is that the issue of the struggle depends in part 

 on extra-individual factors, such as wealth, and there are 

 other differences. 



The second differentia concerns the nature of variations. 

 In the Realm of Organisms variations count only in so far as 

 they are continued in the germ-plasmic inheritance of de- 

 scendants. In the Kingdom of Man this is true as regards 

 organic qualities, but it is not true as regards the influence 

 of the movers and shakers of the world, nor as regards an- 

 other kind of societary variation, such as a sudden change 

 from an Imperial dynasty to a republic, or any re-organisa- 

 tion of institutions after disasters or clashes. In human 

 society extra-organismal variations bulk largely. 



The third differentia is illustrated in the predominant role 

 of the social heritage. Eor racial progress in physique and 

 mental vigour what counts is the natural inheritance, the 

 germ-plasm. Eor societary progress in good will, in dis- 

 crimination, in adjustability, in appreciation of the beautiful 

 and so on, what counts is also the natural inheritance, but 

 of vast importance as well is the extra-organismal heritage, 

 the social heritage of literature and art, the folk-ways of 

 customs and tradition, the external registrations which we 

 call institutions. 



The fourth differentia is to be found in the ethical quality 

 of certain forms of social selection, which sound a new note. 



