THE HISTORY OF INSTITUTIONS. 



MJ 



In biological heredity structures are pre- 

 served and improved, if they are of distinct 

 advantage to the species, through the operation 

 of natural selection. If they cease to be of 

 use, they may still persist as " survivals," unless 

 they come to be of such decided disadvantage 

 to the species that they disappear through 

 natural selection. The same holds, mutatis 

 mutandis, in sociological inheritance, and " sur- 

 vivals " may be found in abundance. Some of 

 these may be retained because they serve a 

 purpose very different from that served by the 

 original variation from which they are de- 

 scended. 



Dr. Reich objects very strongly to the theory 

 of " survivals " as applied to institutions and 

 customs. " Our view of institutions " he says 

 (p. 70) " being that all present institutions are 

 kept in existence by present causes, we cannot 

 adopt the evolutionist views of ' survivals.' 

 Odd habits and ceremonies of our age, for 

 instance, that are commonly explained on the 

 assumption of their being ' survivals ' of former 

 ages, can all be accounted for by the working 

 of present, if latent, causes." Here, as before, 

 Dr. Reich recognises a "final cause," but 



