198 SOCIAL HEREDITY AND SOCIAL EVOLUTION 



ernment existed for itself and the benefit of the few 

 who governed. The people existed for the benefit of 

 the rulers. But gradually there has come about the 

 idea that the government exists for the people, and in 

 all advanced nations of to-day this idea overshadows 

 all else. With but few exceptions modern civilized 

 governments are, ostensibly at least, founded upon 

 the recognition of the fact that the object of the gov- 

 ernment is neither for glory nor conquest, nor simply 

 for defense, but to produce a condition of things in 

 which the individual has the best opportunity and the 

 highest welfare. Laws are made now for the benefit 

 of the people, and not simply the rulers. It has 

 become very clear that those nations are to dominate 

 civilization in the future that place before all men 

 equal opportunities for welfare and happiness. The 

 condition of civilization has become such that it is no 

 longer possible for one man to think of class interests 

 alone. If we forget our neighbor, then the taxgath- 

 erer discovers us and compels us to care for him at 

 greater cost. The government that forgets the wel- 

 fare of its subjects in time finds its foundations 

 thrown down by revolution. Running through the 

 whole of modern society is this principle, that the 

 individual is to be protected and cared for, that his 

 interests are to be so guarded as to give him the 

 greatest opportunity for welfare, and it is for this 

 purpose that most laws are placed on the statute 

 books. 



How is the parallel advance of two such opposing 

 forces reconciled? Clearly by compromise. It is cer- 

 tain that centralization does take away the freedom 

 of the individual to follow his own caprice, since such 

 absolute freedom is possible only to the man living 



