evolution and ethics and other essays-第4部分

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similar　bodies　which　bear　witness　to　the　order　which　pervades
boundless　space；　and　has　endured　through　boundless　time；　are　all
working　out　their　predestined　courses　of　evolution。

　　　　*　See　〃Evolution　in　Biology；〃　Essays；　vol。　ii。　p。　187

With　none　of　these　have　I　anything　to　do；　at　present；　except　with　that
exhibited　by　the　forms　of　life　which　tenant　the　earth。　All　plants　and
animals　exhibit　the　tendency　to　vary；　the　causes　of　which　have　yet　to
be　ascertained；　it　is　the　tendency　of　the　conditions　of　life；　at　any
given　time；　while　favouring　the　existence　of　the　variations　best
adapted　to　them；　to　oppose　that　of　the　rest　and　thus　to　exercise
selection；　and　all　living　things　tend　to　multiply　without　limit；　while
the　means　of　support　are　limited；　the　obvious　cause　of　which　is　the
production　of　offspring　more　numerous　than　their　progenitors；　but　with
equal　expectation　of　life　in　the　actuarial　sense。　Without　the　first
tendency　there　could　be　no　evolution。　　Without　the　second；　there　would
be　no　good　reason　why　one　variation　should　disappear　and　another　take
its　place；　that　is　to　say　there　would　be　no　selection。　Without　the　＇8＇
third；　the　struggle　for　existence；　the　agent　of　the　selective　process
in　the　state　of　nature；　would　vanish。*

　　　　*　Collected　Essays；　vol。　ii。　passim。

Granting　the　existence　of　these　tendencies；　all　the　known　facts　of　the
history　of　plants　and　of　animals　may　be　brought　into　rational
correlation。　　And　this　is　more　than　can　be　said　for　any　other
hypothesis　that　I　know　of。　　Such　hypotheses；　for　example；　as　that　of
the　existence　of　a　primitive；　orderless　chaos；　of　a　passive　and
sluggish　eternal　matter　moulded；　with　but　partial　success；　by
archetypal　ideas；　of　a　brand…new　world…stuff　suddenly　created　and
swiftly　shaped　by　a　supernatural　power；　receive　no　encouragement；　but
the　contrary；　from　our　present　knowledge。　That　our　earth　may　once　have
formed　part　of　a　nebulous　cosmic　magma　is　certainly　possible；　indeed
seems　highly　probable；　but　there　is　no　reason　to　doubt　that　order
reigned　there；　as　completely　as　amidst　what　we　regard　as　the　most
finished　works　of　nature　or　of　man。**　The　faith　which　is　born　of
knowledge；　finds　its　object　in　an　eternal　order；　bringing　forth
ceaseless　change；　through　endless　time；　in　endless　space；　the
manifestations　of　the　cosmic　energy　alternating　between　phases　of
potentiality　and　phases　of　explication。　It　may　be　that；　as　Kant
suggests；***　every　cosmic　＇9＇　magma　predestined　to　evolve　into　a　new
world；　has　been　the　no　less　predestined　end　of　a　vanished　predecessor。

　　　　**Ibid。；　vol。　iv。　p。　138；　vol。　v。　pp。　71…73。
　　　　***Ibid。；　vol。　viii。　p。　321。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II。

Three　or　four　years　have　elapsed　since　the　state　of　nature；　to　which　I
have　referred；　was　brought　to　an　end；　so　far　as　a　small　patch　of　the
soil　is　concerned；　by　the　intervention　of　man。　The　patch　was　cut　off
from　the　rest　by　a　wall；　within　the　area　thus　protected；　the　native
vegetation　was；　as　far　as　possible；　extirpated；　while　a　colony　of
strange　plants　was　imported　and　set　down　in　its　place。　In　short；　it
was　made　into　a　garden。　At　the　present　time；　this　artificially　treated
area　presents　an　aspect　extraordinarily　different　from　that　of　so　much
of　the　land　as　remains　in　the　state　of　nature；　outside　the　wall。
Trees；　shrubs；　and　herbs；　many　of　them　appertaining　to　the　state　of
nature　of　remote　parts　of　the　globe；　abound　and　flourish。　Moreover；
considerable　quantities　of　vegetables；　fruits；　and　flowers　are
produced；　of　kinds　which　neither　now　exist；　nor　have　ever　existed；
except　under　conditions　such　as　obtain　in　the　garden；　and　which；
therefore；　are　as　much　works　of　the　art　of　man　as　the　frames　and
glasshouses　in　which　some　of　them　are　raised。　That　the　〃state　of　Art；〃
thus　created　in　the　state　of　nature　by　man；　is　sustained　by　and
dependent　on　him；　would　at　once　become　＇10＇　apparent；　if　the　watchful
supervision　of　the　gardener　were　withdrawn；　and　the　antagonistic
influences　of　the　general　cosmic　process　were　no　longer　sedulously
warded　off；　or　counteracted。　The　walls　and　gates　would　decay；
quadrupedal　and　bipedal　intruders　would　devour　and　tread　down　the
useful　and　beautiful　plants；　birds；　insects；　blight；　and　mildew　would
work　their　will；　the　seeds　of　the　native　plants；　carried　by　winds　or
other　agencies；　would　immigrate；　and　in　virtue　of　their　long…earned
special　adaptation　to　the　local　conditions；　these　despised　native
weeds　would　soon　choke　their　choice　exotic　rivals。　A　century　or　two
hence；　little　beyond　the　foundations　of　the　wall　and　of　the　houses　and
frames　would　be　left；　in　evidence　of　the　victory　of　the　cosmic　powers
at　work　in　the　state　of　nature；　over　the　temporary　obstacles　to　their
supremacy；　set　up　by　the　art　of　the　horticulturist。

It　will　be　admitted　that　the　garden　is　as　much　a　work　of　art；*　or
artifice；　as　anything　that　can　be　mentioned。　The　energy　localised　in
certain　human　bodies；　directed　by　similarly　localised　intellects；　has
produced　a　collocation　of　other　material　bodies　which　could　not　be
brought　about　in　the　state　of　nature。　The　same　proposition　is　true　of
all　the

　　　　*　The　sense　of　the　term　〃Art〃　is　becoming　narrowed；　〃work　of
　　　　Art〃　to　most　people　means　a　picture；　a　statue；　or　a　piece　of
　　　　bijouterie；　by　way　of　compensation　〃artist〃　has　included　in　its
　　　　wide　embrace　cooks　and　ballet　girls；　no　less　than　painters　and
　　　　sculptors；

＇11＇　works　of　man's　hands；　from　a　flint　implement　to　a　cathedral　or　a
chronometer；　and　it　is　because　it　is　true；　that　we　call　these　things
artificial；　term　them　works　of　art；　or　artifice；　by　way　of
distinguishing　them　from　the　products　of　the　cosmic　process；　working
outside　man；　which　we　call　natural；　or　works　of　nature。　The
distinction　thus　drawn　between　the　works　of　nature　and　those　of　man；
is　universally　recognized；　and　it　is；　as　I　conceive；　both　useful　and
justifiable。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　III。

No　doubt；　it　may　be　properly　urged　that　the　operation　of　human　energy
and　intelligence；　which　has　brought　into　existence　and　maintains　the
garden；　by　what　I　have　called　〃the　horticultural　process；〃　is；
strictly　speaking；　part　and　parcel　of　the　cosmic　process。　And　no　one
could　more　readily　agree　to　that　proposition　than　I。　In　fact；　I　do　not
know　that　any　one　has　taken　more　pains　than　I　have；　during　the　last
thirty　years；　to　insist　upon　the　doctrine；　so　much　reviled　in　the
early　part　of　that　period；　that　man；　physical；　intellectual；　and
moral；　is　as　much　a　part　of　nature；　as　purely　a　product　of　the　cosmic
process；　as　the　humblest　weed。*

　　　　*　See　〃Man's　Place　in　Nature；〃　Collected　Essays；　vol。　vii。；　and
　　　　〃On　the　Struggle　for　Existence　in　Human　Society〃　（1888）；　below。

But　if；　following　up　this　admission；　it　is　urged　＇12＇　that；　such　being
the　case；　the　cosmic　process　cannot　be　in　antagonism　with　that
horticultural　process　which　is　part　of　itselfI　can　only　reply；　that
if　the　conclusion　that　the　two　are；　antagonistic　is　logically　absurd；
I　am　sorry　for　logic；　because；　as　we　have　seen；　the　fact　is　so。　The
garden　is　in　the　same　position　as　every　other　work　of　man's　art；　it　is
a　result　of　the　cosmic　process　working　through　and　by　human　energy　a