334 THE ASCENT OF MAN 



they act as complements to each other ; when Phy- 

 siology hands over its unfinished task to Ethics; 

 when Evolution — if for once one may use a false 

 distinction — depends upon the 'moral' process 

 to complete the work the ' cosmic ' process has 

 begun. 



At what precise stage of the Ascent, in asso- 

 ciation with what class of animals, Other-ism began 

 to shade into Altruism in the ethical sense, is im- 

 material. Whether the Altruism in the early stages 

 is real or apparent, profound or superficial, volun- 

 tary or automatic, does not concern us. What 

 concerns us is that the Altruism is there ; that the 

 day came when, even though a rudiment, it was 

 a reality ; above all that the arrangements for 

 introducing and perfecting it were realities. The 

 prototype, for ages, may have extended only to 

 form, to the outward relation ; for further ages no 

 more Altruism may have existed than was abso- 

 lutely necessary to the preservation of the species. 

 But to fix the eye upon it at that remote stage 

 and assert that, because it was apparently then 

 automatic, it must therefore have been automatic 

 ever after, is to forget the progressive character of 

 Evolution as well as to ignore facts. While many 

 of the apparent Other-regarding acts among animals 

 are purely selfish and purely automatic, undoubtedly 



