INTRODUCTION 



towards social reforms generally, and in partic- 

 ular towards the changes of religious opinion. 

 Here Fiske makes use of thoughts which re- 

 mained with him to the end, and which coloured 

 all his later treatment of historical problems. 

 The great lesson of the process of evolution is 

 the Continuity of all progress, in so far as pro- 

 gress occurs at all. Cataclysms are not to be 

 expected. Progress in thought does not occur 

 by sudden changes of opinion. Progress in 

 morality is a matter of extremely slow growth. 

 Progress in social reforms is not to be attained 

 by revolutions. The evolutionist seeks to make 

 no sudden converts. He would not if he could 

 deprive men of such faiths as are now essential 

 to them in their present stage of growth. He 

 is no radical reformer. He appeals only to 

 those who are prepared by long training to ap- 

 preciate the significance of science and the seri- 

 ousness of philosophy. Above all, he is patient. 

 He hopes for gradual improvement without 

 discontinuity of process. He does not seek to 

 make the world over at a stroke. He appre- 

 ciates the value of individual effort, but he 

 knows that individual effort is worthless apart 

 from organic relation to the inevitably slow pro- 

 cesses of social growth. 



o 



