COMPETITION. 133 



though the animals looked at by themselves would 

 appear to have become less excellent, yet in view of 

 their surroundings they have a better chance than 

 would be the case were their endowments of a higher 

 order. Biologists use then the term " fit," simply in 

 the sense of " fit to get on in the world," and often 

 intrinsically inferior animals and men are " fit " in 

 this sense of the term. 



Now, those who are to form this upper class, or 

 classes, of which we have been speaking, will be fit in 

 the technical meaning of the word, for they will have 

 been able best to conform to the conditions necessary 

 for their advancement laid down by society at large. 

 Whether or not these fit will form an aristocracy of 

 high merit will depend upon the kind of conditions 

 with which they have to comply, in fact it will depend 

 upon the selection that society makes. 



Does it not appear that the present tendency 

 is rather to give an advantage to the man who is 

 capable, pushing and diplomatic ; are we not select- 

 ing men with qualities of value in a struggle, qualities 

 which savour still rather of talons and claws, while we 

 are careless of qualities which we have learned already 

 to value as those of a higher order? In following out 

 a train of reasoning like this, where there are no 

 means of obtaining definite evidence, one can only go 

 upon the general impressions of life which it has 

 been in our power to obtain. Do not these impres- 



