DARWINISM AND POLITICS. z> 



escape from this position [i.e. the struggle for existence in 

 which those who were best fitted to cope with their circum- 

 stances, but not the best in any other sense, survived]. 

 The first men who substituted the state of mutual peace for 

 that of mutual war, whatever the motive which impelled 

 them to take that step, created society. But in establishing 

 peace, they obviously put a limit upon the struggle for 

 existence. Between the members of that society, at any 

 rate, it was not to be pursued a outrancc. And of all the 

 successive shapes which society has taken, that most nearly 

 approaches perfection in which war of individual against 

 individual is most strictly limited." x 



Professor Huxley then goes on to show how 

 the struggle for existence appears in a new form 

 through the zealous fulfilment of what we are 

 told was the first commandment given to man 

 " Be fruitful and multiply." But, instead of argu- 

 ing, as before, that the further history of civilisa- 

 tion must consist in putting a limit to this new 

 economic struggle, he avoids drawing any such 

 inference, and very lamely concludes that we 

 must establish technical schools. These are 

 most desirable and necessary institutions, but 

 they might fulfil some better purpose than 

 what he proposes which is simply to sharpen 

 our claws that we may fight our neighbours 



1 Art. " The Struggle for Existence," in Nineteenth Centitry> 

 Feb., 1888, pp. 165, 166. 



