The Relation of Organic to Me?ital Evolution. 267 



an imals . What may be the limiting conditions of this 

 portion of the ascending curve of evolution ; how control 

 had its early genesis ; how the mental evolution of animals 

 passed into the mental evolution distinctive of man, cannot 

 now be discussed.* We must devote our attention to the 

 relation which organic evolution bears to that mental 

 evolution which is its accompaniment throughout the 

 stages of animal development above indicated. 



No one is likely to question the importance of conscious 

 adjustment to environment in the evolution of the higher 

 grades of animal life. It_jn atters not w hether the selec- 

 tionists are right in conte nding Jb flft t.hngp individuals vdio 

 vary in the direction of more^cjsquate conscious develop- 

 ment are selected and transmit their innate powers, or the 

 transmissiomsts are right in contending that acquired 

 powers of conscious adjustment are transmittedJcDm parent 

 to offspring; in either case conSTTnTus^adjustment as a 

 factor in organic evolution is of the utmost importance. 

 The intelligent animal, the animal that can avoid danger, 

 can secure prey, can win or enforce himself upon a 

 mate ; that is quick to see and hear, quick to select, quick 

 to act; that hesitates not, blunders not, and does not 

 flinch ; this is the animal that survives and becomes the 

 parent of a good stock. Bu t^ in the a nimal world this 

 conscious adjustment is wh olly subservient to thfi jieeds of 

 animal life! At this stage of evolution , mind or fion snons- 

 ness is an adjunct lu OTganie development. Just in so far 

 as it miniutuib lu lllU JJfflgr'es's' Of amxnjtL-dfis^lopmeht will 

 natural selectionTaVOUf It, of"will it in some_ way be 

 rendered «ji pffenti ye factor in organic evolu tion. In the 

 stress of the struggle for existence among animals con- 

 sciousness has enough to do in fulfilling this its primary 



* I have attempted to discuss the latter point in my " Introduction to 

 Comparative Psychology." 



