CIVILIZATION-WARD AND DIETZGEN 177 



protest. I shall endeavor still further to show 

 that it is wholly at variance with anything 

 that a rational being would ever conceive of, 

 and that if a being supposed to be rational 

 were to adopt it he would be looked upon as 

 insane." 



"Such," says Ward, "is nature's economy. 

 How different the economy of a rational be- 

 ing! He prepares the ground, clearing it of 

 its vegetable competitors, then he carefully 

 plants the seeds at the proper intervals so that 

 they shall not crowd one another, and after 

 they have sprouted he keeps off their enemies 

 whether vegetable or animal, supplies water if 

 needed, even supplies the lack of chemical con- 

 stituents of the soil, if he knows what they 

 are, and thus secures, as nearly as possible, 

 the vigorous growth and fruition of every seed 

 planted. This is the economy of mind." 



And now Ward presents a truth that is very 

 familiar to all Socialists — that the difference 

 between an animal living in a state of nature 

 and man living in human society, is that man 

 is a tool using animal. This use and develop- 

 ment of tools is due to that application of 

 reason called the inventive faculty, which no 

 other animal possesses. "The beaver indeed, 

 builds dams by felling trees, but its tools are 

 its teeth, and no further advantage is taken 



