THE FALLACIES OF NATURAL SELECTION. 155 



ing their own, implies no advance in development; 

 and the adverse conditions, shown by Darwin, imply- 

 that any move made by the " stronger and more vigor- 

 ous," was in the direction of degeneration. Does not 

 Darwin's statement of the fearful battle for life, imply, 

 that, though possibly "stronger and more vigorous," 

 they are generally, less fit, less strong, and less vigor- 

 ous than the preceding generation ? 



Natural Selection, at the best, is nothing but a 

 struggle or a protest against degeneration. The retreat 

 of a man, with his face, however, towards the foe, 

 typifies Natural Selection and the Struggle for Exist- 

 ence ; and any argument, designed to prove that the 

 man was advancing upon his enemies, based upon the 

 mere circumstance that his face was in the direction of 

 advance, would be a perfect analogue of Darwin's 

 argument from Natural Selection. The man's retro- 

 grade movement symbolizes the obvious effect of the 

 adverse conditions under nature, which provoke the 

 Struggle for Existence. The position of the man, 

 confronting his foe while he retreats, symbolizes 

 Natural Selection, or the survival of "the stronger and 

 more vigorous." The mere survival of "the stronger 

 and more vigorous" does not imply any advance in 

 development. At the most, it can but imply a contin- 

 uance, of those organisms, in the same state. Under 

 the conditions of Natural Selection, and under the 

 evidence which Darwin gives, of so many " rudi- 

 mentary organs," and of so many "long-lost charac- 

 ters," the survival of "the stronger and more vigor- 

 ous," proves only that the minimum of degeneration, 



