Introduction 7 



of mine will win study. They will so win if the feeling 

 is somehow aroused that they are vital to human weal. 

 Otherwise they will not; for the essays are certainly 

 not easily entertaining. 



The teachings clustered together under the caption 

 "organic evolution" spring to the center of one's 

 thought at once when a scientific view of life is 

 spoken of, for really there is no scientific theory of life 

 which does not include an evolutionary conception of 

 some sort. Further, evolution is probably rarely dis- 

 sociated to-day in anybody's thinking from natural 

 selection from the doctrine of struggle for existence 

 and survival of the fittest. But apparently few per- 

 sons outside of Germany ever, until the great war came 

 on, really thought out how the doctrine would work 

 in actual human affairs if adopted as a guiding prin- 

 ciple by a whole mighty people. I do not mean to 

 imply by this that the biological theory of survival of 

 the fittest is alone or even chiefly responsible for the 

 philosophy which has brought this tremendous conflict 

 upon the world. But there can not remain any longer 

 a shadow of doubt that the doctrine has played a 

 direct and very great part in shaping the German 

 theory and practice of national life. This is especially 

 evidenced by the glimpses Vernon Kellogg has given us 

 of his experiences behind the German battle lines in 

 Belgium and France, particularly of his conversa- 

 tions with a certain German officer, himself a profes- 

 sional biologist. 



