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Classification of the Sci.
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beings to be regarded as a good in itself? Many moralists say it is the summum bonum; but then these are men who regard mere gratification, as such, as a good in itself;—a doctrine not easily matched for its bald logical absurdity. Let us prefer the apparent opinion of Nature in her evolution. Very well; if Darwin is right the whole aim of biological evolution is to produce fecundity. For he makes the whole quasi-purpose to be the perpetuation of the stock, which depends almost entirely upon reproduction, prolescence (or prolificity) and subolescence. But Darwin's hypothesis requires too much time. Somehow, the process of adaptation of the type to its environment must be a swift one; and there are other facts that seem to show that it is so. Besides, the higher animals are not so extraordinarily prolific. Let us glance through all Creation and ask ourselves what, in a word, it would seem to have been at, What has it been accomplishing? Is it not on the whole, the vitalization of ideas, the rationabilitation of things? Or, let us ask our own hearts what