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In biological evolution the manifestations 

 of vegetable life do not efface the first dawn of 

 life which is already seen in the crystallisation 

 of minerals, anymore than the manifestations 

 of animal life efface those of vegetable life. 

 The human form of life also leaves in existence 

 the forms and links which precede it in the 

 great series of living beings, but much more 

 do the later developed forms live in proportion 

 to whether they are the product of primitive 

 forms, and co- exist with them. 



Social evolution follows the same law, and 

 this is precisely the interpretation which 

 scientific evolutionism gives of the transition 

 times. They do not eliminate the conquests 

 of preceding civilisation, but, on the contrary, 

 they preserve the vital part of them and 

 fructify them for the new birth of a fresh 

 civilisation. 



This law which governs the grand develop- 

 ment of social life, rules equally the destiny 

 and the course of all social institutions. 



One phase of social evolution in succeeding 

 another eliminates, it is true, the non-vital 

 parts, the pathological products of preceding 

 institutions, but it preserves and develops the 

 healthy and fructifying parts whilst it always 

 raises higher the physical and moral diapason 

 of humanity. 



By this natural process the great river of 

 humanity has come forth from the virgin 

 forests of savage life, has developed majesti- 

 cally in the periods of barbarism and of the 

 present civilisation, superior in certain aspects 

 to the preceding phases of social life, but in 



