CHAPTER XVI 



REITERATION OF DARWINISM: ELIMINATION MADE AB- 

 SOLUTE MR. A. SUTHERLAND 



A strong book with some weaknesses Works out the origin of moral 

 feeling by natural selection Restates Drummond-like position as 

 Darwinian (?) And exemplifies " arrival " of forms Biology ; 

 fitness to survive And to breed and rear Quantity first relied 

 on Then quality This develops sympathy Which becomes 

 serviceable Anthropology ; everything depends on the ap- 

 proaches to monogamy Sociology ; progress is by elimination of 

 the inferior Even when it seems to find more rapid means 

 (Yet he allows some progress by imitation !) History ; retrogres- 

 sion is possible ! For he hates all militarism On the whole he 

 does not believe in history Or in reason Ethics ; Has dealt 

 only with one-half of goodness ! Egoism must balance sympathy ! 



Balance will grow automatic ! Criticism ; no right to call 

 sympathy moral, if only half of morality Nature does not select 

 one quality at a time ! Selection said to have worked Not true 

 natural selection though Why is goodness not automatic already? 



Do beauty and goodness exist, or do they not ? " Yes and 

 no ! " 



MR. SUTHERLAND'S two handsome volumes are 

 among the most recent, and certainly not the least 

 important, contributions to the biological study of 

 morals. They are interesting in many ways. As a 

 gift from Australia to older lands they deserve a 

 courteous welcome. As the outcome so we learn 

 from the preface of eleven years of labour they 

 deserve our respect and almost our reverence. They 

 cover a very wide field, including biology, anthro- 



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