struggle, and to the accumulated peculiarities that enabled particular individuals to live and breed where the less fortunate failed. Naturalists are now agreed that natural selection has been at least one very potent cause of the origin of species, though the extent of the influence of the subsidiary causes is not so undisputed. But the Darwinian theory assumes, without explaining, the variations of individuals; and it provides us with no means of pronouncing a judgment as to the quality of the results of this evolution. There is no identity of Subject throughout the changes, and there is nothing in the theory to show that the last winners are "better," by any other standard than that of successful survival. There are many instances of Darwinian development in economic phenomena; and economics, like Darwinism, gives us by itself no means of judging the results. But the struggle for existence means, by ordinary standards of judgment, something less savage when it is between societies than when it is between individual men; and even the Darwinian notion of development can be applied, like the Malthusian theory of population, in a form which betokens improvement as well as mere survival. It is not the bare doctrine that might is right. Within civilized nations the contest becomes a struggle not for mere living but for a better life; and the vanquished are converted, in spite of themselves, not slain or allowed to die. To apply the theory in this way to societies, however, we need to found our standard of judgment not on the Dar-, winian but on the philosophical notion of development. It is not obvious that Darwinism would favour socialism, or indeed any particular plan of social reform. It explains how, but not why, certain occurrences have taken place, and leaves us still to deal with our old problems by the aid of conceptions outside of Darwinism itself. Darwinism is in keeping with the view that the industrial improvement and organization surrounding us have in great part grown up spontaneously, or tentatively, and that laissez-faire does not necessarily mean chaos. The development of the individual members of society is the chief end of society itself, and of the State which is its articulate representative head. To secure this end, the necessary outward conditions must be assured to each member of society; and, as long as human nature remains as it has been in all history, so long there will be need for a State to do this work. But, as each individual must himself use the opportunities, so assured to him, in his own way, there must be (in no narrow sense of the word) individual liberty secured to him. The future may bring with it changes in the statute laws of property, in order to bring it within reach of every one, as a condition of development. As long as there is room kept open for personal and moral freedom, originality, and every kind of individual variation, the world of mankind will not be losers. INDEX. Absolute Monarchy: 59, 68, 70, Absolute and Relative (in Marx): 343. Abstract Method of Economical Agriculture System: see Physio- crats. Agricultural and Civil Society AHRENS (Prof. H.): 196 n., 297. 125, rights of 189, 263, 298. Aristocracy wiser severally than collectively 87, (Hegel) 319. also 47, 49, 54, 55, 67, 68, (Aristotle) 35, 36, 376, (More) and Nature (Mill) 250, (Dar- ATKINSON (William): 336 n. BACON (Francis): 61, 66, 67, 89, BAIN (Prof. A.): 238, 265. BARTH (Dr. Paul) 367 n. 70 n. BAUER (Bruno): 330, 335. 149, 188, 191, 196 Note, 199, BERKELEY (Bishop): 104, 105, BOLINGBROKE (H. St. John): 199. Books: like Money (Kant) 275. BRADLEY (Prof. A. C.): 40 n. 199, 241 n., 261, 3834 151 n., 177 n., 240 n. CAIRD (Prof. Edward): 187 n., Canon law: 5, 22 n., 52, 53. (Quesnay) 138 seq., (Proud- Note, 248 n., 367. in economy 110, in society nature 120. CHALMERS (Dr. Thomas): 253 n. Christianity and old notion of State 50 (cf. 76), general 304. 391. COBDEN (Richard): 386, cf. 258. Commune as political unit 187, 96, 160, consumption best for 334. (Grotius) 74, 75, (Hobbes) also Rousseau. Co-operative industry of the (Ad. Smith) 176, (Kant) 277, |