The Final Goal 317 



to the child from its earliest years, the best possible 

 environment. This can only be realised by slow grada- 

 tions; but there ought to be no cessation of effort 

 until the full complement of the "ideal state" has 

 been obtained. 



It was proved that the lesson of history supports 

 our contention. The fact of social betterment at 

 present existing and in process is an entirely new 

 phenomenon on the stage of the world's progress and 

 has only become apparent within recent times in this 

 our Western civilisation. Such social amelioration was 

 unknown in any of the great empires of the past, even 

 although high physical and intellectual evolution had 

 been attained. The only difference existing was shown 

 to be an all-pervading altruism, first demonstrated by 

 Benjamin Kidd in his work " Social Evolution" ; and 

 this again was proved to have its origin and subsequent 

 growth in the teachings of love and self-sacrifice under 

 the law of Righteousness of the Eternal, proclaimed in 

 the New Testament by the Founder of our religion. 

 Man was shown to have completed his physical and 

 mental evolution. This means that higher attainment 

 in these directions was not possible for him, but this 

 does not preclude a very considerable rise in the general 

 standard of such among the body of the people. But 

 for everyone the process of spiritual evolution is not 

 yet by any means on a high plane. It began with the 

 diffusion in men's minds of Christian altruism. It has 

 been operating for a thousand years in our own civilisa- 

 tion and it has yet a very long way to go ; but such a 

 process acquires momentum as it proceeds, and ere long 

 will be a much greater fact in the world's history and in 

 man's long climb upwards on the ladder of being. As 

 this spiritual evolution proceeds, the approach of the 

 " ideal state " comes nearer, and its completion within 

 reach of attainment. In the chapter on this subject, 



