PROLEGOMENA 57 



just as the gardener selects his plants with a view to his 

 ideal of useful or beautiful products. 



In the second place, in order that no struggle for the 

 means of existence between these human agents should 

 weaken the efficiency of the corporate whole in the 

 battle with the state of nature, he would make arrange- 

 ments by which each would be provided with those 

 means; and would be relieved from the fear of being 

 deprived of them by his stronger or more cunning 

 fellows. Laws, sanctioned by the combined force of 

 the colony, would restrain the self-assertion of each 

 man within the limits required for the maintenance of 

 peace. In other words, the cosmic struggle for existence, 

 as between man and man, would be rigorously sup- 

 pressed; and selection, by its means, would be as com- 

 pletely excluded as it is from the garden. 



At the same time, the obstacles to the full develop- 

 ment of the capacities of the colonists by other condi- 

 tions of the state of nature than those already mentioned, 

 would be removed by the creation of artificial conditions 

 of existence of a more favourable character. Protec- 

 tion against extremes of heat and cold would be 

 afforded by houses and clothing; drainage and irriga- 

 tion works would antagonise the effects of excessive rain 

 and excessive drought; roads, bridges, canals, carriages, 

 and ships would overcome the natural obstacles to loco- 

 motion and transport; mechanical engines would supple- 

 ment the natural strength of men and of their draught 

 animals; hygienic precautions would check, or remove, 

 the natural causes of disease. With every step of this 

 progress in civilization, the colonists would become more 

 and more independent of the state of nature; more and 

 more, their lives would be conditioned by a state of art. 

 In order to attain his ends, the administrator would have 

 to avail himself of the courage, industry, and co-opera- 



