PHYSICAL LIMITS TO, PROGRESS. I I I 



non lies In the fact that there is a physical limit to 

 the size of the head of an infant which can be born. 

 It would follow from this that since there is an un- 

 doubted relation between intellect and the size of 

 the brain, the bulk of our geniuses even now perish 

 in their birth. 



Lastly, if we go back to prehuman stages in the 

 history of Evolution, we find that some of the most 

 fundamental features of animal life are not original. 

 Sexual reproduction, e.g., has been evolved, and 

 there was originally no difference between nutrition 

 and reproduction. One cannot help thinking, how- 

 ever, that much evil and much suffering might have 

 been prevented if this connection had been main- 

 tained, if life had never been complicated by the 

 distinction of the sexes, if reproduction had never 

 occurred, except as an incident of superabundant 

 nutrition, and if children had never made their 

 appearance, except where there was an abundance 

 of food ! 



And recently it has been suggested also that death 

 itself is derivative, and was evolved by the amoeba 

 from a mistaken desire to promote the stcrvwal of 

 the fittest.^ Into the somewhat inadequate evidence 

 for this speculation there Is no need to enter, nor to 

 deny that the biological and physiological reasons 

 for this unparalleled feat of Evolution are doubtless 

 of a highly satisfactory character. But from a purely 

 human point of view it seems the final condemnation 

 of the process. From an evolution which could 

 invent and cause death, man has evidently no happi- 

 ness to hope ; rather he must in fear and trembling 

 expect it to bring forth some new and unconjectured 

 horror. 



^ By Professor Weismann. 



