266 UNIVERSAL EVOLUTION 



man, and his relation to his complete environment. If 

 men build cities near a threatening volcano, or on a 

 level with tide water, and get overwhelmed, or destroyed, 

 that is a punishment that Nature metes out for ignorance 

 and stupidity; not from design, but because the great 

 law of Nature is the survival of the fittest, which, in this 

 case, would be those who avoid the destructive forces of 

 life, in the shape of fire and flood. 



The endeavor has above been made, to outline a uni- 

 versal principle, which being applied in every spot, and 

 under any and all circumstances, will produce automati- 

 cally, that condition in man, which is called ethics, or 

 morality. That principle is, the adaptive adjustment 

 of the psycho-physical organism. This adjustment will 

 necessarily be different in different communities, and in 

 different places. For the scientist, whose knowledge of 

 the laws of nature is greater, than that of the native 

 Australian, or of the North American Indian, it should 

 be more completely and highly ethical and moral. But 

 the latter 's adjustment being better adapted to him, 

 than could be, that of the scientist, it gives him a better 

 morality for his welfare, his preservation, his happiness, 

 than would be that of the scientist, if such a thing could 

 happen, as that the higher adjustment of the scientist 

 could, by any means, be taken over by the Australian, 

 without his intellect being made equal to that of the 

 scientist. In other words, there would remain as much 

 difference in the ethics of the peoples of the world, then 

 as now, unless all should become equally enlightened, in 

 the scientific truths of natural law. 



One category of natural ethics, therefore, cannot 

 prevail until all men perceive the same necessity for 

 the application of the principle. 



The principle of ethics, being the adjustment of the 



