INTRODUCTION 



passive adaptation as a process is meant the non-purposeful 

 modification of an organism, species, social group or institution 

 to suit it to its environment. If we differentiate the process 

 further, as above, passive physical adaptation will comprise the 

 process of biological evolution including permanent somatic 

 differences in ethnic groups whereas passive spiritual adaptation 

 will comprise the evolution of all psychic factors in the individual 

 and race, and the expression of these in language, mores, laws and 

 social institutions (so far as the process is non-purposeful). It 

 thus comprises nearly the whole process of education, including 

 moral and religious, and much of social control. By active 

 adaptation is meant the purposeful modification of any organic 

 or quasi-organic unity to suit it to its environment or the purpose- 

 ful modification of the environment to make it favorable to the 

 unity. If we differentiate further, active material adaptation 

 will include the process of industrial development while active 

 spiritual adaptation will comprise the purposeful adjustment of 

 the individual to his spiritual environment, social, ideal and 

 transcendental, the work of true teachers and social reformers and 

 purposeful social control. 



Of course there are no hard and fast lines between these divi- 

 sions, but the above classification will prove useful in the general 

 discussion of the subject and may be represented by the following 

 scheme : — 



Rind of Environment 



Mode ot 

 Adaptation 



Passive 



Active 



Physical or Material 



Biological evolution including 

 relatively permanent differ- 

 ences in somatic characteris- 

 tics of individuals in different 

 races, and development of 

 brain and nervous system in- 

 . eluding instincts. 



Industrial development. 



Spiritual (including Social) 



Evolution of psychic and social fac- 

 tors and of their expression in 

 language, mores, laws and other 

 social institutions. 

 Process of education (including 

 moral and religious). 

 Genetic social control. 



Telic adjustment of the individual 



to his spiritual (including social) 



environment. 



Work of true teachers and moral 



reformers. 



Telic social control. 



