Altruism Fundamental i57 



the offspring, but of fitness first in the parent. Refusal or 

 neglect cuts the thread of Hneage without punishment of 

 the individual unborn or unconscious; but with final judg- 

 ment upon that branch of the lineage, and its qualities, as 

 this culprit individual has become possessed of them. And 

 so with other things pertaining to reproduction, such as the 

 absolute dependence of the mother upon the help of others, 

 during the period of self-immolation, and the dependence 

 upon her helpmate during even longer time; and, more re- 

 motely, the interdependence of both in sacrifices to make the 

 home in which young can be reared. All these things are 

 gateways to life at which entry is gained only by passing 

 tests of altruism. In these tests the race is weeded and 

 selected, and those unfit are turned aside by their own 

 preference for other things, and the survivors are those 

 qualified to subordinate the self of individualism to the 

 greater self of the organized aggregate. 



Thus it appears that altruism is not properly a reversal 

 of the principle of self-preservation but only a preference 

 for that self-preservation which acts by unity of the sub- 

 divided life, instead of by activity of separate individuals 

 in disuniting rivalry. And the reason why this method of 

 organized unity is preferred is not that sacrifice is desired 

 for its own sake, but it is that self-preservation is better 

 effected in the strength of the greater unit so promoted, than 

 it is in the lesser strength of the smaller individual unit. It 

 is still the benefit of the conduct unit which makes an activ- 

 ity right. It is the same regard for self-preservation and 

 self -development in happiness, but it refers to a different self 

 which is the greater self of the greater life. 



