FKOM THE EVOLUTION PHILOSOPHY. 27 



moral and immoral conduct as the associated life of millions 

 of good, bad, and indifferent human beings presents, is it a 

 wonder that the true causal connection between morality 

 and happiness should be somewhat obscured ? Not in the 

 least. Let us be careful then not to confound superficial 

 observation with profound criticism. We must not mistake 

 outer signs for inner realities hold fast the shadow of 

 things and let go the substance. Despite all that can be 

 said to the contrary, the man who makes the greatest 

 attainable happiness the object of his existence is con- 

 sistently bound to lead as moral a life as his surroundings 

 permit; for even if his lot happens to be cast among men 

 who fail in their duty to him, by imitating their example 

 he does but increase the sum of misery, which must in 

 some way, however subtle, recoil upon himself. 



And just here a word of caution seems necessary to 

 correct a grave misapprehension. In setting forth the 

 above facts I do not mean to imply that the evolution 

 philosophy relies upon argument as the efficient means of 

 moralizing the world. That considerations of this kind 

 will have great weight with a certain order of minds can 

 hardly be gainsaid ; but the philosophical evolutionist, 

 better than anyone else, knows the futility of attempting 

 to reform the masses by the power of logic. Neither does 

 he lay claim to any device by means of which mankind can 

 be coaxed, cajoled, or coerced into morality. What, then, 

 is his theory of morals ? He holds that ethics, like 

 religion, like government, like civilization itself, is a 

 growth and development; that just as civilized men of 

 to-day, with such moral improvement as they have attained, 

 were slowly evolved from the rough, rude barbarians of 

 by-gone ages, so the moral evolution of the human 

 race will continue. Other than this natural process of 



