172 ADAPTATION AND PROGRESS 
In his discussion of the inborn content of consciousness, Rat- 
zenhofer brings out a detailed analysis of interest which is one of 
his greatest contributions to sociology and especially to the 
development of the doctrine of adaptation. 
As soon as the male germ cell has united with the ovum the following 
dynamic phenomena (Krafterscheinungen) are present: —? 
1. The Urkraft differentiated into life to which we ascribe in general the 
power of bringing forth the whole developmental series, and through which 
the organized life is in relation to the cosmic forces. There is also present 
the impulse to try out all life-situations in order to produce the most complete 
creature possible. Thus this inherent life-power struggles against the 
barriers set by its environment, but in the sense of an inner impulse to ever 
larger life, in accordance with the universal law of adaptation. This struggle 
for the largest possible life brings the individual into conflict with other 
individuals and thus makes room for the Darwinian doctrine of selection.” 
2. The inborn interest differentiated into several phenomenal forms by 
means of the life conditions under which the individual is developing as 
follows: — 
(a) The racial interest which has the peculiar characteristic of maintaining, 
through reproduction, the species to which the creature belongs;? . . . 
(6) The physiological interest, in general taken over from the mother 
as the new creature is a continuation of her physiological activity, .. . 
impels to a search for food and leads to the development of all other life 
interests; ... 
(c) In higher forms these original interests become differentiated, the 
physiological into an individual interest which has to do with the maintenance 
and development of individual life;4 ... 
(d) The racial interest which because of the physiological connection 
between the individual and his ancestry easily expands to a social interest. 
The emotion of love is connected with this social interest but also with the 
sex impulse. Together they form the basis of the family. 
These various interests often come into conflict; for example, 
the individual with the social, and the social with the racial. 
Under great temptation a man may force into the background 
his interest in his country, as the traitor; or a man may give 
this interest preéminence, self-interest and interest in family 
being thrust back, as the patriot in time of war. “In the lordship 
of the individual interest man sees himself not merely physiolog- 
ically but really, as the center of the universe while in the lordship 
1 Erkenntnis, pp. 56 f. 2 Cf. ibid., p. 44. 3 Cf. Soziologie, pp. 68 f. 
4 Ratzenhofer accepts Spencer’s law that individuation and fecundity are in- 
versely proportional. Man is able to thwart the purposes of the Urkraft by sup- 
pressing the racial interest and living only for self. 
