132 DARWINISM AND RACE PROGRESS. 



organic differences, and the idea of social equality, 

 ridiculous enough as it now appears to most of us, 

 will then have become a demonstrated absurdity, as 

 having contained the impossible idea that things that 

 are unlike can be at the same time alike. 



Those who Succeed are Not Always the Best. 



We cannot leave this question of the struggle be- 

 tween one individual and another without noticing a 

 point of great interest and importance. We have 

 seen that society is giving to the capable of all classes 

 increased facilities to acquire wealth and position, 

 and is tending to form of this capable section an 

 upper class. 



Now, unfortunately, this selection is carried out 

 only on certain lines, and it does not follow that this 

 upper class will invoke our entire sympathy and ap- 

 probation. In biological works we frequently hear 

 of the " survival of the fittest," and the expression is 

 used by biologists in quite a special and technical 

 sense. It does not mean of necessity that the most 

 active or intelligent always survive ; indeed, this is 

 far from being a rule of universal application. Often 

 the most fit are inactive and mentally inert, as when 

 the tame duck with useless wings and the mole with 

 useless eyes is preserved while others die off. In 

 these cases the wings and eyes are useless, and, al- 



