1372 LIFE : OUTLINES OF GENERAL BIOLOGY 



coming of Capek's "Robots" than that of Nietzsche's "Super 

 man". Anatole France's pessimism over all such Utopias of advance 

 may be extreme; but there now seems less of sanguine hopefulness 

 from education^ or even from eugenics. For Nature and Nurture, as 

 the two main and complemental sides of life, do not yet find adequate 

 experimental trial together. Pending such developments, we must 

 return to the simpler conditions of individual development and 

 community evolution. May these not give light towards higher ones, 

 if not even suggest leading as well? First, then, let us throw aside 

 the conventional social assumption of "the average man", and start 

 anew from our organic and psychic uniqueness, as in face and form, 

 even to thumb-mark; and in functional ways as well, as from 

 voice and gesture, written or other, to "Character" as a whole. But 

 where and when social conditions inveterne, as in our own day, to 

 standardise these to some external^ imposed "good form" — be 

 this in school, factory, barrack, or prison — the effective result 

 shows much more of restraint than of development. Hence it is 

 instructive to note how very many notable men of genius— the 

 supermen of the past century, for instance — have to be understood 

 not as the successes claimed by these orderly systems, but rather as 

 their survivals; or, still better, as their truants. Here the biography 

 of Darwin, arch-truant of his school and of his two universities, 

 and then world- traveller, is not a little significant; and this the 

 more since it was his mind, thus free, yet rich in observation 

 and vital experience, that stated and developed most fully the 

 general concept of organic evolution, with its most convincing of 

 partial interpretations, and with its most effective evidence. Many 

 similar illustrations of the like advantage of freedom for genius 

 might be cited. Given freedom to find, follow and develop one's 

 inner interests and impulses, and thus form good habitual bent — 

 and this pursued with patience, yet not without leisure and change 

 — ideas arise, often as flashes of vivid illumination, yet also b}^ slow 

 growth. And the like for creative invention as for discovery; in 

 fact, for initiative of all kinds, and each a step for personal develop- 

 ment, and often also for social progress. Here then re-appears our 

 pragmatic summary — Vivendo discimus. 



But such cases of genius in freedom are very exceptional! Yes, 

 while our social institutions keep them so. Yet see how youth finds 

 outlets from these, as with varied sports, and their innumerable 

 record- ma king and -breaking achievements. See, too, the decisive 

 Battle of Education, between the 50,000 Boy Scouts not so long ago 

 assembled near Liverpool, against the traditional schools and their 

 mihtant corps. On the scout's arm note the badges of the many 

 occupations — all educative in their own wa3^«5, which he has chosen 

 for something of real prenticeship, and alw^ays without pecuniary 

 inducement, but with that of hicipient efficiency of manhood. It 



