GENESIS OF MAN, MORALLY 



inferior animals a function in excess is quickly 

 reduced by natural selection, because, owing to 

 the universal slaughter, the highest complete- 

 ness of life possible to a given grade of organ- 

 ization is required for the mere maintenance 

 of life. But under the conditions surrounding 

 human development, a function in excess may 

 remain in excess provided its undue exercise is 

 not such as is incompatible with life. Through 

 countless ages, for example, the feelings which 

 ensure the maintenance of the race have been 

 strengthened by natural selection, because of 

 their prime importance to every race. But un- 

 der the conditions of civilized life, the sexual 

 passion has become a function in excess, which 

 natural selection is powerless to reduce, because, 

 although it is probably the source of more crime 

 and misery than any other excessive' function, 

 and therefore detracts more from complete in- 

 dividuation or the fulness of human life than 

 any other, it is nevertheless but seldom incom- 

 patible with the maintenance of life. In all 

 such cases, mankind has so many other func- 

 tions, besides the excessive ones, which enable 

 it to subsist and achieve progress in spite of 

 them, that their reduction to the normal stand- 

 ard is left for the slow process of direct equili- 

 bration. 



The action of direct equilibration, in turn, 

 is greatly complicated, among the progressive 

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