550 HUMAN PROGRESS 



South-sea vegetable ivory; a pencil made in Germany, 

 with an eraser made from the sap of a Brazilian or Suma- 

 tran rubber tree; a Swiss watch, Egyptian cigarettes, or 

 what not. 



Adequate Production. — As civilization advances and 

 life becomes richer, more and more material things are 

 felt to be desirable. Contrast the Satisfaction of an 

 untutored savage in the possession of a few strings of 

 beads and a small hand mirror with the yearning for 

 books, pictures, musical instruments, and the other 

 accessories of life on the part of the civilized world. The 

 obvious handicap to the realization of the desire for 

 these benefits is that there are not enough of them to go 

 round. By way of illustration, take the matter of indi- 

 vidual transport. No one will deny the enormous con- 

 tribution automobiles make toward the enrichment of 

 life. Anyone may legitimately desire to share in this 

 enjoyment. Obviously, this desire cannot be fulfilled 

 until sufficient numbers of motor cars have been produced, 

 with sufficient supplies of motor fuel, so that there will 

 be enough for all. The increasing desires of mankind 

 call for continually increased production. This demand 

 can be met only by inventions and discoveries, especially 

 of machinery which takes the place of human hands. 

 The limit of productivity by hand is obviously very far 

 below present human needs and desires. Mechanical 

 devices have played a great part in human achievement, 

 and must play an even greater part if mankind is to 

 continue to progress to that point at which all legitimate 

 human desires are satisfied. 



High Ideals. — In previous paragraphs it has been 

 emphasized that an essential feature of human progress 

 has been its passage beyond the satisfaction of the funda- 

 mental biological requirements of food, security, and 

 racial perpetuation, to those achievements which consti- 

 tute enrichment of life. An important element in this 

 latter group has been the setting forth of high ideals of 



