i6 2 PHYSICAL BASIS OF CIVILIZATION 



desires, hopes, aspirations, ideals, had no power 

 whatsoever to sway them. Life and consciousness 

 were mere incidents in their currents. The nature 

 and duration of the former, and the terrible or pleas- 

 ing character of the latter, were inexorably deter- 

 mined by the same blind interactions. 



But the appearance of the new factor above 

 alluded to marks the beginning of a new era. Life, 

 consciousness, and human ideals will not be without 

 influence hereafter. On the contrary, they will by 

 the power of this new factor in future acquire an 

 ever-increasing importance in determining the 

 destiny of the universe and the goal toward which 

 it will be progressing. This new factor is the true 

 hereditary character of the human race, which fol- 

 lowed as a natural consequence from the bodily 

 formation, which was made inevitable by the two 

 anatomical modifications referred to in the title, as 

 "The Physical Basis of Civilization." 



Of this character the wonderful human intelli- 

 gence is the most conspicuous primary constituent. 

 Through this, operating in connection with patience 

 and heroic love of truth, came knowledge of the 

 more complex relations between causes and effects ; 

 therefore science and scientific foresight. Peaceful 

 docility, adaptation to an infinite variety of produc- 

 tive industries, as well as the capacity to compre- 

 hend and retain in mind great purposes during 

 lengthy periods, and the will-power, under the inspi- 

 ration which such purposes yield, to direct and 



