i88 3 .] 
“ Progress.” 
647 
t V. “ PROGRESS ” FROM AN EVOLUTIONIST 
POINT OF VIEW. 
By Frank Fernseed. 
t F once we recognise that the forms of organic life, such 
as we now find them, have originated by a succession 
of gradual changes, we cannot fail to be struck with 
certain analogies between the origin of species and the rise 
and growth of human society. Social and political thinkers 
have by no means overlooked this consideration ; but they 
have for the most part erred from an insufficient acquaintance 
with Evolution, or rather Transformation, as it exists in the 
animal and vegetable world. Setting out from such imper- 
fect knowledge they have assumed that change may be 
traced everywhere ; that such change is always from an 
inferior to a superior condition, and that it can or may take 
place in one direction. These notions, more or less dis- 
tinctly formulated, are involved in the idea of “ progress ” 
as we find it put forward in speeches and sermons, in leading 
articles, and even in independent works. Unfortunately 
these views are flatly contrary to the analogies of Nature, 
and are hence misleading in speculation as in practice. If 
we make even a moderately careful inspection of the world 
around us,- — such an examination as may be fairly demanded 
from an educated non-specialist, — we find, on the contrary : 
1. That the general truth of Evolutionism, notwithstand- 
ing change, is not a universal law of Nature. 
2. That where changes occur they are not always serial, 
moving on in some given direction, but cyclical or 
periodic, returning to their original starting-point. 
3. That where change or transformation shows no appear- 
ance of returning upon itself, it is not always from a 
lower to a higher grade, but frequently in the very 
opposite direction. 
4. That changes, be they for the better or the worse, are 
not necessarily in one direction only, like the pro- 
longation of a line chalked upon a board, but may 
take ramifying courses like the branches of a tree. 
These four points we will endeavour to unfold and 
illustrate, pointing very briefly to the practical conclusions 
which each necessitates. 
