x SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 137 



the lower to the higher forms of animals and plants has been 

 due to the opportunity of those individuals who are a little 

 superior in some respects to their fellows of asserting that 

 superiority, of continuing to live, and of propagating that 

 superiority as an inheritance to their descendants. That law, 

 established in nature, is, I believe, equally applicable to 

 ourselves ; and this is the message which pure and abstract 

 biological research has sent to help us on in some of the 

 commonest problems of human life. The lesson is this that 

 there is always a certain amount of variability, that there is 

 no such thing as equality equality in powers of work, 

 equality in powers of endurance, or equality in the powers of 

 men for doing great things in the world ; and that progress 

 depends on giving full liberty to that inequality, wherever it 

 asserts itself, having full play. Now, supposing this law did 

 not exist in the animal kingdom, instead of the world being 

 filled with all the diversity and beauty which it now possesses, 

 every living thing would have been in the condition of slimy 

 polyps at the bottom of the sea, and if it did not exist in man- 

 kind, we should all still be in the condition of flint-chipping 

 savages. I will leave it to you to apply to yourselves, in 

 your own social condition and social life, the application of 

 that law. I will not press it any further at present, but 

 leave you to think it out afterwards. You will, however, easily 

 see that it means that, as there is no such thing as equality 

 among yourselves, if you are to have progress there must be no 

 attempt whatever tip keep down the capacities of the superior 

 to the level of the inferior. Any man who gets a little rise 

 above his fellows helps on the progress of the world, and 

 brings all the others on with him. JSTow, having merely 

 mentioned an application of abstract science from a quarter 

 where, perhaps, you little expect it, I will conclude by once 

 more thanking you, Mr. Girling, and those who have forwarded 

 the address in the name of the Association. I am sure it will 

 give the Association great pleasure to hear what you have 

 done, and how you have sympathised with their work, and to 

 assure you that the hopes and wishes expressed at the end of 

 the address are, as far as possible, most fully realised. 



