The Dominion. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1918. AN INJUSTICE TO DARWIN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 27, 26 October 1918, Page 6

The Dominion. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1918. AN INJUSTICE TO DARWIN

The connection between Darwin's theory of evolution and the wa-r- was discussed by the Anglican Bishop of Auckland :(I)jj..:AyEniLL)Ciri ; .-his-acl--dress to, the Auckland Diocesan Synod. The Bishop seems to be deeply impressed by the a-Ygumenfi-'o'f ■■;.Mr;.- 'Benjamin Kidd in his recent '..ee/pfcs .fho ; vic.w!\th'at-- "Darwin: and the'' materialistic" philosophy.••. -to F . which he gave ,:'in'.his •; {jntjin iof-\B-pene&]&i&v\&xgz\Y. re ; ' sponsible for -'that German 'craving for world dominion...whi.ch brought. .. abflut the, present war'.' The Bishop '- states- thaS-.TpiTfiCHKE-. and--' -"'Nietz-. • scHE..based'thcii". teaching- regarding the .'super-man and ■the siiper-nation on the : '"Darwinian"theory of'- the individual.cfncicnt in .his own inteiv ests,"- He .asserts.'that from this ; vthebry they,- derived:■the-idea .-that forcci.-wa's-the-only rcal'powerahd ■ '-the" only ■ real test : pf•■.efficiency,; The' Bishop appears "to ' endorse ' 'Mil. Kidd's- contention that the philosophy of the Origin .of Species is -materialistic, ;ahd. .he .seems to' .take it for granted that the German version of Darwinism is' correct; Ho.makes no attempt to prove either, of •' ,thfeo'.;a'ssnnipi;ipns;...:B'i}t.'.they ..'are far'from-being so obviously .Jtvue that no proof is needed. As a matter of fact they are quite wrong, and are. based upon a radical misunderstanding. _ Dr.,A.vEttiLL has-been misled, by his uacHtacai-acce'ptance'of Mr.Kidd's argument. Darwin himself did not regard his views on'fhjforigin., erf species and-.the descent of' man as'inaterialistic, "arid-lie would have emphatically repudiated-the deductioiis which.Trehschke, Bbrnhardi. • 'and-. ; NIET!!SCHE!.-have'drawn"fi-oni his >riting's: : \'l}A]uViKl)clieved'thcit. : liis' •theory of.evohttibu.'was rjuite'.'con-' si'sterit with' Theism.' He'held thaUt accorded well with "what we' know of the laws Impressed on matter-by the Creatoi-," and .asserted that "there; .ivgrandenr-in this'-view-of life, wi.th its- several powers, having been, originally ,-breathed .by-the... .Cre.atoi:.■ into ■a. few forms; or. -into • not Materialism;'' It. is true that Darwin's own" ""mirier Oscillated between Theism and Ag-. ' nosfcicism,. but he always accepted the. ethics of. Christianity,, and associated Himself., with* the social .'and charitable activities connected with his parish church. To blame-Dar-win ..for ■.the results of German perversions'of His-teaching is as unfair as it would be to blame the-writers of the New Testament because- their 'wortfe have''often been 'misinterpret--ed, v misunderstood, 'and'misapplied'. An.American scientist' has pointed, out-that German teachers andthink3rs have distorted biological'laws toi suit their own . purposes. They | "turn to the primary factors of evolution as they arc operative, in. the -1 ion-human world- as -the'-final cburt'i rf appeal in settling all questions of nan s relation to man, and the"re'la;ions of one State • ■ to' another." They foj"get th'at'inan is in some re-pects-'an-exceptional, creature, and hafcv 'whenßevolution ~gave,inari his, apKil- consciousness-, and his concepts-. >f .right jand' wrong-,' of- truth "and Akelioocl;i j ustico and'-'mercy; he was' iorn again." W-.

It is quite true that Darwin give: prominence to the "struggle "for ex istence" in : his account of the-'cvolu-tioiiafy' process.' But he also lay's strgss On the survival value of other factors, such as mutual aid, sympathy, tenderness, maternal affec- ' lion, ;an'<f social, .cg-'opera,tiqn.", '■. ...ihe fight^.a i f6i^d\the.;/pla^tcE i aspcct.>of .'the '.-.Darwinian theory. •Dae'win-■used-the'term ''struggle for existence" in a "large-'.and' metaphorical Sense," including depend- 1 once of one being on another,, and including not only the life of the individual,, but also success in ; leaving progeny. Professor-'J; 'A.. Thomson tells us that the truest interpretation of the "struggle for existence" .isip, be.found'in the general idea --of: liv.ing.organism.s-.- ■ asserting, themselves-against 'limitations"; •audi' difficulties, partly due to their ■immediate competitors, but by no means restricted to this. The Germans seize upon the "struggle" aspectof Darwinism;'arid'fronr it : thcy : draw the false conclusion that the world is nothing but a great'gladiatorial; show;.; -In such.a-world.sym-pathy, 'seli-'s'a'crifice, chivalry, and consideration for the weak would-be out of place. The German materialistic- philosophers .iisser't'-tEivt this;'re-; morse-less fight''for life is'producing the ■ supcr-raah—strong; 1 relentless,', despotic, and self-assertive. Here wo have the philosophic foundation for'-the German doctrine of "frightfillness.", .which..has been put into ])ractics';with'- suctf- - ghastly results during .the "present- war, -This Ger■raah version of .evolution takes no' account of.'ihose social and moral qualities. lipoh ■. jv hich, ; D/RwiN lays much stress.' Darwin .'regarded the •sbcial instincts "as 'most important factors (in the/evolution- of', animals ■' a'nd; of.' man.' '.'^As-an. .illustration, he. asserts that "a.tribe,including.''many members who,..fr.om_ possessing ina-big'h-degree, the spirit of patriotism,. ndol.ily, ..obedience, ..courage, -and' .syhipathy.'wore.always'.readyto aid "each;, other -and-to sacrifice ' ;thcm•.selves • for the' common ■ goody 'would be_ victorious over other tribes, : and' tiiis. would be natural selection."-.--

: ' As 'Bishop'Merceii pbinjts out in an article in the Nineteenth Cmhirjj Dar.win fully recognised and lucidly expounded the role .of-sympathy .and fbpinl feeling,,and'- it is astonishing that some pcoplc;sh'ould regard Darwinism as a sort of synonym' for a gospel of violent self-assertion. Nietzsche displays a most irrational perversity when,- in the name of Darwin, he'shrieks .for the elimination of riity from the hearts and lives-of men: Dr. Mercer, in summing tip' the'ijosition, asserts'that we .have no' justification. for. .regarding the'universe.'as w;holly a.scene' .of ruthless .conflict and self-assertion. ■

-.Sympathy,'co-operation, fellowship, and -lovn'.nre not sad aliens in our mysterious realm of life, nor are they'thesprings of a "slave, .morality'' which must-'-be spurned and crushed because they keep: the; great-ones- frnm ■• tlicrr rightful heri-' 'tajjfe.''Tlie'y .fire,.essential factors' in., a Iking iV.li.ole,. big. with. happy destiny. -'I'h'e super-man is 'fatally out of the line of evolution, the. goal of. which is even now: discerned to. .he. a full development of I ho self ,in ami through a.perfected social ■solidarity. Fol'"Darwin's world there is 'th?f p6i\'er'of niiexo'iiuling hope. * For Nietzsche's . world there .is nought but ruin and' raviu. . '

Mr.. Kjdd thinks that the true idea, of the evolution of civilisation is the gradual assertion'-'in the. history of the world of the value; and the equal value," of every human life, and the .gradual, rise : to-., supremacy: of the ■'jrfinfiijjle of/ sacrifice-;';and service .(jVer'.f.or-ge,. Dawvinism, .l'igh'tlyii'rid fully' understood, does.iiot dash with

tins ideal. .We are not going to ana.thematise DAiwiN'it. the' bidding of Mr. ,Kii>b| nor will wc renounce his .evolution- theory because a- German caricature of it has been; put. to evil uses'; just as we'arc riot'going to cut off .our liaiuls.because of'.the.horrible deeds done- by,the --mailed fist" ofthe modern Hun. •■