814 COSMIC PHILOSOPHY. [n. Ii. 



organic life, Sir Charles Lyell already suspects ; for he else- 

 where observes that the lower the place of organic beings 

 " in a graduated scale, or the simpler their structure, the 

 more persistent are they in form and organization. In what- 

 ever manner the changes have been brought about, the rate 

 of change is greater where the grade oi organization is 

 higher." And this fact results from the more complex rela- 

 tions of the higher beings to their environment. Applying 

 these considerations to history, it will be seen that, owing to 

 the political isolation of ancient communities, the hetero- 

 geneity of their environments must have been inconsiderable. 

 Holding little intercourse with each other, and accommo- 

 dating their deeds and opinions mostly to the conditions 

 existing at home, their progress was usually feeble and halt- 

 ing. Owing to the enormous heterogeneity of the environ- 

 ment to which modern communities are forced to adjust 

 themselves, progress in later ages has been far more rapid 

 and far more stable than of old. The physical well-being 

 of an ancient Greek was not enhanced by an invention made 

 in China, nor could his philosophy derive useful hints from 

 theories propounded in India. But in these days scarcely 

 anything can happen in one part of our planet which does 

 not speedily affect every other part. The physical environ- 

 ment of a modern European extends over a great part of the 

 earth's surface, and his psychical environment is scarcely 

 limited in time or space. His welfare is not unfrequently 

 affected by accidents occurring at the antipodes, while his 

 plans for the coming year are often shaped with conscious or 

 unconscious reference to events which happened centuries 

 ago. That the rapid and permanent character of modern 

 progress is in great measure due to this circumstance, will be 

 denied by no one. And thus is explained the wonderful 

 civilizing effect of various events which have from time to 

 time brought together distant sections of mankind ; among 

 which it will be sufficient merely to name the campaigns oi 



