CHAPTER III. 



Natural Selection (continued) — The Influence of u Reason" upon Natural 



Selection. 



The most serious accusation to be laid at the door of ". reason" 

 is that it has rendered the law of natural selection more or less 

 inoperative among men. If this be true, it is a very serious 

 indictment, since by natural selection there is a continual 

 weeding out of the evil from the good, and surely the cessation 

 of this beneficial process must work very great harm upon the 

 race. 



In the following observations let me remind the reader that 

 I am repeating arguments used in the paper already alluded 

 to — arguments which certainly must often have been used 

 before, since they would occur to any one who would take the 

 trouble to think the subject out for himself ; indeed, I have 

 often heard similar arguments used in ordinary conversation. 

 I shall presently show, however, that they do not represent 

 the complete truth. 



In studying the effects of natural selection upon the animal 

 organism, it is advisable to regard the latter in a twofold aspect 

 « — (i) from the corporeal, (2) from the instinctive or mental 

 point of view, and the one is as important as the other. 



First, as to the corporeal side. Does natural selection, in 

 the case of man, secure the survival of those corporeally the 

 most fit ? Assuredly not. Do the strongest and healthiest 

 always survive their inferiors, and hand down their superiorities 

 to posterity ? Alas, no ! for it is a matter of common notice 

 that the fine young fellow " goes to the dogs/' He poisons 

 his blood with drink, or with a yet viler thing, thus wrecking 

 in a single generation a beautiful organisation which has 

 slowly and laboriously evolved through myriads of genera- 

 tions, each one of which, be it remembered, has had the good 



