92 ORGANIC EVOLUTION 



— no less than all other phenomena, and the asser- 

 tion that the appearance of man on this planet was 

 accidental, is essentially unscientific ; for it is the 

 first assertion of science that accidents do not 

 happen. The unparalleled manner in which the 

 human species has spread and thrived proves that 

 man is a necessary product of evolution, not in 

 virtue of any law of progress, but in virtue of the 

 fact that evolution constantly tends towards more 

 perfect adaptation and relation and mutual fitness 

 of the evolved products. As the most adaptable 

 species that exists, man is not the product of an 

 accident — or, if he is, it was the sort of accident 

 that had to happen. If this important qualification 

 be included, any one is welcome to enjoy whatever 

 remains he can detect of the pseudo-idea usually 

 conveyed by the word. 



According to Genesis, the human race is the fruit 

 of a first pair, Adam is the father and Eve the 

 " mother of all living."' Not a few inquirers, when 

 they abandon this legend for the teaching of know- 

 ledge, carry with them an unexamined assumption 

 that there must nevertheless have been a " first 

 pair." 1 But in all probability the transition from 

 the ape to man was gradual and prolonged ; nor 

 was there any point at which an observer could 

 have said, " The parents are simian but the 



1 The very large proportion of my space which I have allotted to 

 the evolution of man may be justified by the obvious pre-eminence 

 of this subject in importance ; but also by the circumstance that 

 this little book is meant to be read, not only for its own sake, but 

 as a preliminary to the consideration of other matters which relate 

 almost entirelv to man. 



