CHAPTER XIX 



HYPER-DARWINISM IN SOCIOLOGY STRUGGLE MADE 

 ABSOLUTE MR. KIDD 



Resemblance to Comte Intenser emphasis on biology [cf. Mr. Platt- 

 Ball] (i) Panmixia = degeneration is inconsistent with dreams of 

 socialism or of final balance Selfishness, however, may not care 

 for remote consequences [Ought Panmixia further to imply extinc- 

 tion?] Also, social " statics" are blotted out And evolution be- 

 comes almost identical with progress Could not Mr. Kidd save 

 many essential positions without this assumption? (2) Next, if 

 progress implies struggle And selfish reason makes unwilling to 

 struggle for good of the race, supernatural counterpoise of religion 

 must help, as hitherto Now, Weismann had riddled his own posi- 

 tion with qualifications Kidd also appeals to biology by a doctrine 

 of the social organism; but everything here depends on philosophy, 

 not biology (3) First, the doctrine of reason; reason is formal, as 

 with A. J. Balfour, Darwin, Drummond For Mr. Kidd also holds 

 that biological law applies without a break to rational man Yet it 

 disturbs the process of evolution And Bagehot, Stephen, Drum- 

 mond have noted other changes due to it Can it be wholly evil? 



Balfour and Kidd repudiate Kant or Coleridge's deeper sense of 

 " reason " But they cannot avoid such sense if it lies in the word 

 and in the fact (4) Secondly, doctrine of religion as anti-rational 



Not = " future judgment"; that is rational! Can we believe 

 the irrational ? Does not Kidd tamper with Christian equalitarian- 

 ism? Biologically; variation may be purposeful and professive 

 Historically; reason is progressive; by rational methods Religion 

 its fulfilment It needs a force to give it motive and constancy 



THERE is a great deal to recall Comte in Social 

 Evolution. We have a long and interesting appeal 



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