KIRTLEY F. MATHER 11 



Life, the product of creative energy, is itself creative. 

 And an essential element in its creative activities is 

 provided by the freedom for self-expression possessed 

 by individual organisms. Volition enters into the 

 process of organic evolution all along the way, but 

 becomes increasingly important as animals become 

 more capable. 



There seems to be nothing inherent in the known 

 mechanisms of the evolutionary process which makes 

 that process necessarily one of improvement and 

 progress. But we cannot deny that it has been pro- 

 gressive. The earth is better now than it was two 

 billion years ago when no living creature was upon its 

 surface. More expressions of the nature of cosmic 

 energy have been apparent in each succeeding geologic 

 period. Finer qualities of the motive power of the 

 universe are to-day manifest in the world of sense per- 

 ception than were previously displayed, if we have any 

 basis whatever for passing judgment upon such things. 



It is sometimes suggested that our belief In the suc- 

 cess of the evolutionary processes Is just one more 

 indication of the supreme egotism of mankind. We 

 designate animals as "higher" or "better" simply be- 

 cause they approximate more closely the structures or 

 attainments of man himself. If all our standards of 

 judgment are human standards, they are not a valid 

 basis for the conclusion that there has been any real 

 progress In life development. What right have we to 

 assume that the universe as a whole is any better be- 

 cause man lives and fights and loves upon the earth? 

 There Is, however, one basis for evaluating attain- 

 ments and estimating progress, which has more than a 



