specialized Life 165 



ordinated with the earlier accepted instinctive principle. It 

 would follow therefore that errors, or what in reason would 

 be considered errors, are pardonable. As a matter of fact 

 that is the practice. All humanity pardons errors of altruis- 

 tic sacrifice when they are sincere, and even pardons other 

 offences because they are instigated in this motive. And 

 in theory the life (or portion of a life) which is devoted to 

 others has already relinquished, or left unassumed, the 

 prime function of normal life, which is its self-preservation 

 and transmission in lineage, and cannot be held individually 

 physically responsible for error in the way that normal life 

 is, for it cannot be corrected by a deprivation or disability 

 in what has already been relinquished. 



It seems that the altruistic life, and even that part of a 

 life otherwise selfish, which is sincerely altruistic, is the 

 product of the community, or of an enlarged conduct unit; 

 and to the community falls the care and responsibility as 

 well as the profit of such conduct. The aggregate so organ- 

 ized may demand or accept sacrifices from individuals, and 

 their performance may become a duty if demanded, or a 

 virtue if offered; but the acceptance of the service in either 

 case is an assumption by the organization of responsibility 

 for the conduct, and for the consequences to the community. 

 If the conduct is in error the community suffers; if it is 

 beneficial the benefit accrues, as was intended, to the com- 

 munity. Therefore, the preservation of the worker is the 

 benefit of the community. Such is clearly the theory which 

 explains so far as any theory can explain, the facts as ob- 

 served. It places the obligation of estimating and valuing al- 

 truistic effort upon the community, and not upon the worker. 



