of animal evolution made it clear that heredity and
environment played a large part in the development of animal life, and
Darwin pointed out that progress came by the elimination of those
individuals and species least fitted to survive in the struggle for
existence and the perpetuation of those that best adapted themselves
to environment. It was easy to find social analogies and to reach the
conclusion that in the same way individuals and groups were creatures
of heredity and environment, and the all-important task of society was
to conform itself to environment. Of course, history disproved the
universality of such a law, for more than once a race has risen above
its environment or altered it, but it seemed a satisfactory working
principle.

Biological analogies, however, were overemphasized. It was a gain to
know the workings of race traits and the relation of the individual to
his ancestry, but to excuse crime on the ground of racial degeneracy
or to despise a race and believe that none of its members can excel
because it is conspicuous for certain race weaknesses has been
unfortunate. Similarly there was advantage in remembering that
environment is either a great help or a great hindrance to social
progress, but it would be a social calamity to believe in a physical
determinism that leaves to human beings no choice as to their manner
of life. The important truth to keep in mind is that man and
environment must be adapted to each other, but it often proves better
to adapt environment to man than to force man into conformity to
environment. It is the growing independence of environment through his
own intellectual powers that has given to civilized man his ascendancy
in the world. It is a mistake, also, to think that a struggle for
existence is the only means of survival. As in the animal world, there
comes a time in the process of evolution when the struggle for selfish
existence becomes subordinated to effort to preserve the life of the
young or to help the group by the sacrifice of the individual self, so
in society it is reasonable to believe that the selfish struggle of
individuals will give way by degrees to purposeful effort for social
welfare, and that the solidarity of the group rather than the interest
of the individual will seem the highest good. Then the group will care
for the weak, and all will gain from the strength and prosperity of
the whole.

362. =The Importance of the Individual.=--While it is t