THE STRUGGLE FOR THE LIFE OF OTHERS 287 



tion leads us back very clearly and indubitably to 

 the oldest and simplest source of love, to the elect- 

 ive affinity of two differing cells." ^ 



SELF-SACRIFICE IN NATURE 



It is not, however, in Haeckel's " elective affinity 

 of differing cells" that we must seek the physical 

 basis of Altruism. That may be the physical 

 basis of a passion which is frequently miscalled 

 Love ; but Love itself, in its true sense as Self- 

 sacrifice, Love with all its beautiful elements of 

 sympathy, tenderness, pity, and compassion, has 

 come down a wholly different line. It is well to 

 be clear about this at once, for the function of 

 Reproduction suggests to the biological mind a 

 view of this factor which would limit its action to 

 a sphere which in reality forms but the merest seg- 

 ment of the whole. The Struggle for the Life of 

 Others has certainly connected with it sex relations, 

 as we shall see ; but we can only use it scientifically 

 in its broad physiological sense, as literally a Strug- 

 gling for Others, a giving up self for Others. And 

 these others are not Other-sexes. They have noth- 

 ing to do with sex. They are the fruits of Repro- 

 duction — the egg^ the seed, the nestling, the little 

 ^ Haeckel, Evolution of Man, Vol. 11., p. 394. 



