The Problem 5 



quired characters. If acquired characters can- 

 not be inherited, then the social surplus cannot 

 be transformed into mental traits, and endur- 

 ing progress is impossible. Biologists have 

 not considered the first proposition, " the natu- 

 ral surplus is a decreasing one/' and they hope 

 that through a natural differentiation of germ 

 cells an unconscious progress may be contin- 

 ued. But if the natural surplus is actually 

 decreasing, the natural differentiation will be 

 regressive, not progressive. Men must stem a 

 naturally adverse tide if they would progress, 

 and unless the result of their effort favorably 

 affect their descendants progress is hopeless. 

 To the solution of this enigma economists as 

 well as biologists must turn. It is not a prob- 

 lem that lies in any one science for the solu- 

 tion of which others must wait. It is the 

 essential problem of all science and appears 

 in some form in every field. I ask again, 

 how is the social surplus transformed into 

 permanent conditions and mental traits? An 

 answer will be given in the following pages, 

 or at least an endeavor will be made to throw 

 some light on it. 



