34 ORGANIC EVOLUTION 



it, the leading practical question of the present 

 age whether or no this abrogation of the law of 

 natural selection is not disastrously occurring 

 amongst ourselves. 



Natural selection, then, need not always be at 

 work. But even when it is at work, it need by no 

 means necessarily make for what we call progress. 

 Natural selection selects those variations which tend 

 to promote life. Now these may be good or bad, 

 according to our standards — of which Nature takes 

 no cognisance. If, for example, there occurs a 

 variation in the direction of greater intelligence, 

 that variation makes for survival ; and, as it happens, 

 we call it good. But there may occur such a varia- 

 tion in the digestive apparatus as adapts the new 

 organism to a parasitic life, otiose, degraded, but 

 safe. Again the fittest survives, but in this case 

 the fittest is what we should call the worst. 



Natural selection, then, is not always operative ; 

 and, when operative, has no concern with higher 

 or lower, better or worse, but merely with fitter or 

 less fit. 



But if this be so, rightly observes the critic, how 

 do you explain the observed fact of progress ? If 

 natural selection is morally blind, how comes it 

 that, solely under its sway, as some assert, there 

 have been evolved morality and intelligence — all 

 that stands to us for progress ? Must there not 

 be some final cause 1 which directs the evolutionary 

 process. In other words, though the evolutionists 

 have disproved the teaching as to Creative Design 

 in the wing of the bird, or the shape of the flower. 



1 A deiign towards a purpose or end: (final = end-al). 



