EVOLUTION AND INTENTIONAL PROGRESS 95 



the fittest explains the slow and almost imperceptible Book i 

 movement, the rapid and perceptible movement is 

 explained by the leadership of the greatest. It is 

 with the rapid movement alone that the practical The rapid 

 sociologist is concerned ; and hence for him the ^ed"by the 

 great man, not the fittest, is the important factor. grea - i man 



Let us now consider what is meant by the process 

 called social evolution, regarded as something dis- 

 tinct from those intentional advances made and Next as to 

 maintained by the genius of great men. To w V htrdoes~the 

 understand this, we must consider what is meant by wordmean? 

 evolution generally. Mr. Spencer defines it in 

 terms of "the homogenous" and "the heterogenous" ; 

 and from his own point of view we may accept his 

 definition as correct. But facts have many aspects ; 

 and according to the purpose with which we deal 

 with them they will require different definitions, 

 which, though none of them are incompatible with 

 the others, will have between themselves no apparent 

 resemblance. Thus the biologist's definition of a 

 man will be quite distinct from the theologian's ; 

 and the dangerous illness of a great party leader 

 will be one phenomenon for his followers, and quite 

 another for his doctor. In the same way Mr. 

 Spencer's definition of evolution, however admirable 

 it may be from a certain point of view, is not ex- 

 haustive. It entirely leaves out of sight those 

 characteristics of the process which it is necessary 

 before all things that the practical sociologist should 

 understand. 



To reach a definition that will include these 



