1 62 FROM COMTE TO BENJAMIN KIDD PART m 



fest as evolution makes farther and farther advances, 

 a plain revelation (he thinks) that morality, the per- 

 fecting of " altruism," is the goal of the entire cosmic 

 process. 



There are two points of special interest in Drum- 

 mond's statement of evolution. We may dwell 

 shortly upon both. Even if the first does not directly 

 elucidate the alleged new conception of the evolution- 

 ary process, it is important in connection with views 

 that have still to be considered. 



The point in question is styled by Drummond " the 

 arrest of the body." It seems to follow upon a contri- 

 bution of Dr. A. R. Wallace's, which is very highly 

 praised by Mr. Fiske. In answer to the question, 

 How was natural selection able to differentiate the 

 rational species of mankind from the brute tribes ? or 

 Why did not reason die out as soon or as often as it 

 emerged ? Dr. Wallace replied that reason was pre- 

 served or was selected as soon as it became sufficient 

 in amount to constitute a greater advantage in the 

 struggle than any physical superiority. Upon this a 

 previous question may arise. How was reason, hith- 

 erto unfavoured by the selecting agency, able to leap 

 to that point of magnitude and importance ? That is 

 a difficulty which besets the doctrine of natural 

 selection all along the line, unless the admission is 

 made that variation may proceed per salttim. How- 

 ever, in regard to the origin of reason, the difficulty is 

 met tant bien que mal by treating reason alternately 

 as identical with animal intelligence, and as some- 

 thing wholly new. When the origin of human reason 

 is made the subject of discussion, it is spoken of as 

 a new and advantageous variety ; when the difficulty 



