True Nature of Social Struggles 87 



this resistance, a general equilibrium is obtained 

 and the organism remains vigorous. If the equilib- 

 rium is lost the process of dissociation commences 

 and results in death. In an analogous way the 

 same phenomena are reproduced in human society. 

 If the people prevent the ruling classes from 

 abusing their power and if the governments are 

 able to compel citizens to respect the rights 

 of their fellow-citizens, the community remains 

 healthy and vigorous. If the rulers become 

 despotic, or the citizens anarchistic, dissociation 

 commences and the collectivity easily becomes 

 dislocated. 



The militarists are therefore right in saying, 

 that struggle is a universal law of Nature. It takes 

 place not only between the stars in the celestial 

 spaces, but also between the cells in the human 

 body and between men within society, — but the 

 processes by which this universal struggle operates 

 are immensely varied. If we wish to compare 

 the processes in the different domains in which the 

 phenomena take place, it is necessary to do so 

 with scrupulous care and close attention not only 

 to their points of resemblance, but also to their 

 differences. To consider only the processes which 

 result in total death, and to ignore those which 

 result in partial death is an incomplete and 

 unilateral view, and is therefore anti-scientific 

 because science demands first the recognition 

 of all the phenomena which are accessible to 

 intelligence, and then their final generalization. 



