Misinterpretation of Danvin vii 



and Darwin has been made to deliver a message 

 which was the direct contrary of the message 

 which it was his intention to deHver. One of the 

 pathetic "situations" of the history of Hterature 

 is to find Darwin towards the close of his life, as 

 he watched the growing misinterpretation of his 

 message, saying, with a disconsolate sigh: "I am 

 beginning to despair of ever making the majority 

 understand my notions. ... I must be a very 

 bad explainer." 



A like fate in some measure, of course, may pos- 

 sibly await such ideas as those with which this 

 book deals. The author has attempted to disen- 

 tangle a certain truth touching the science of 

 society, the truth, namely, that the vast and 

 complex co-operative partnerships of human asso- 

 ciation do not work towards efficiency by one of 

 the parties — groups within the nation or national 

 groups themselves — exercising compulsion or co- 

 ercion upon the other, but by free co-operation 

 based upon an intelligent recognition of mutual 

 interest in such co-operation. Now it is very 

 difficult to realize how and in what manner that 

 principle works in society; and it is partly because 

 it is so difficult that society often works so badly 

 and breaks down so disastrously. Therefore, 

 says the average social critic, " Don't let us trouble 

 about seeing it at all. Speaking broadly, social 

 amelioration in the widest and deepest sense (such 

 sense not being limited, that is, to municipal 

 wash-houses and straight streets) depends upon 



