The Economic Struggle 185 



come their hereditary instinct, and have killed 

 their own kind in order to devour them. They 

 have thus waged purely physiological or alimentary 

 wars, like those waged by animals of one species 

 against those of another species. But human food 

 is the most difficult to procure, since it is necessary 

 for a cannibal to attack a prey as strong and 

 intelligent as the hunter. In accordance with 

 the law of force, that it tends to follow the line of 

 least resistance, the cannibal finds it better to 

 search for a prey which possesses inferior mental 

 faculties, and therefore can oppose less resistance. 

 Cannibalism has been abandoned as soon as it has 

 been possible to procure nourishment in any other 

 manner. 



As we have seen in a preceding chapter, the 

 physiological struggle has two forms, absorption 

 and elimination. After the phase of cannibalism, 

 which is a process of absorption, the physiological 

 struggle has gone on by a process of elimination. 

 Men made war, not for the purpose of devouring 

 each other, but to assure themselves of subsistence 

 — a hunting ground, the bank of a river rich in 

 fish, trees producing nuts and fruits. In this 

 case, the death of the vanquished ceases to be an 

 object, and becomes a means. If the more feeble 

 abandons the prize which is coveted, he can pre- 

 serve his existence. 



Once assured of being able to secure a permanent 

 supply of nourishment, this ceases to be the 

 principal pre-occupation of man. The next most 



