34 INTRODUCTION. 



selves partlj^ in the same direction ; and Geddes and 

 Thomson, in so many words, recognize " the co-exist- 

 ence of twin-streams of egoism and altruism, which 

 often merge for a space without losing their distinct- 

 ness, and are traceable to a common origin in the 

 simplest forms of life." ^ The last named — doubtless 

 because their studies have taken them both into the 

 fields of pure biology and of bionomics — more clearly 

 than any other modern writers, have grasped the 

 bearings of this theme in all directions, and they fear- 

 lessly take their stand-point from the physiology of 

 protoplasm. Thus, " in the hunger and reproductive 

 attractions of the lowest organisms, the self-regarding 

 and other-regarding activities of the higher find their 

 starting-point. Though some vague consciousness is 

 perhaps co-existent with life itself, we can only speak 

 with confidence of psychical egoism and altruism 

 after a central nervous system has been definitely es- 

 tablished. At the same time, the activities of even the 

 lowest organisms are often distinctly referable to 

 either category. . . . Hardly distinguishable at 

 the outset, the primitive hunger and love become the 

 starting-points of divergent lines of egoistic and altru- 

 istic emotion and activity." ^ 



That at a much earlier stage than is usually sup- 

 posed. Evolution visibly enters upon the "rudiment- 

 ary ethical " plane, is certain, and we shall hope to 

 outline the proof. But even if the thesis fails, it re- 

 mains to challenge the general view that the Struggle 

 for Life is everything, and the Struggle for the Life 

 of Others nothing. Seeing not only that the second is 

 the more important ; but also this far more significant 



1 The Evolution o/ Sex, p. 279. - Ibid., p. 279. 



