THE ERA OF HELPLESSNESS 45 



Gradually small accretions arising through varia- 

 tion had to be naturally selected, until after practi- 

 cally innumerable generations, there emerged out 

 of a brain not much better than an ape's the mag- 

 nificent organ of intelligence, which club, missile, 

 and fire using men must have possessed. 



The brain mass had to be more than doubled. 

 Without entering into the merits of the questions 

 involved, since the brain has been called the organ 

 of intelligence it seems permissible for purposes of 

 linguistic convenience in this argument to call in- 

 telligence the function of the brain. Increase of 

 function has survival value when it aids adaptation. 

 Whenever increase of function has survival value, 

 then the smallest increase or improvement in the 

 organ which supplies the function will be naturally 

 selected. Therefore will the average size and quality 

 of an organ keep on increasing in any race or variety 

 so long as increase of function of that organ aids 

 adaptation. Intelligence being the function of the 

 brain, therefore, whenever intellectual energy and 

 acuteness can aid adaptation, then will even the 

 smallest improvement in brain mass or quality be 

 naturally selected, and the average size and quality 

 of brain in that race will keep on increasing from 

 generation to generation. Intelligence aids adapta- 

 tion and has survival value when its exercise is 

 required in adjusting the organism to the environ- 

 ment, provided the organism is adapted to such ad- 

 justments. Whenever, therefore, the environment 



