GENERAL CONCLUSIONS 



All evolution is at once progressive and retro- 

 gressive. 



All modifications of organs and institutions are 

 attended by retrogression. This occurs equally 

 in the modifications of organisms and of societies. 

 All existing forms, whether organic or social, have 

 undergone certain modifications, and, as a result, 

 have lost some parts of their structure. This 

 universality of degenerative evolution may be 

 proved either by the comparative method, or by 

 showing that all organisms contain rudimentary 

 organs, and that all societies contain survivals. 



II 



Degenerative evolution follows no definite path, 

 and can in no way be regarded as constituting a 

 return to the primitive condition. 



In some cases when one cause of dissolution 

 equally and simultaneously affects all the parts of an 

 institution or an organism the most complicated 

 and delicate structures are the first to disappear ; 

 but it must not be taken as a general principle 

 that the most complicated structures are necessarily 

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