In a sum in multiplication you may gain the same product by using
different factors; but if the product is to be constant, if you
halve one factor, you must double another. Evolution is a product of
many factors. One evolutionist lays more, another less, emphasis on
natural selection, according as he assigns less or more efficiency
to other forces or processes. Furthermore, evolutionists differ
widely in questions of detail, and some of these subsidiary
questions are of great practical importance and interest. It may be
useful, therefore, to review these propositions in the light of the
facts which we have gathered, and to see how they are interpreted,
and what emphasis is laid on each by different thinkers.
The fundamental fact on which Mr. Darwin's theory rests is the
"struggle for existence." Life is not something to be idly enjoyed,
but a prize to be won; the world is not a play-ground, but an arena.
And the severity of the struggle can scarcely be overrated. Only one
or two of a host of runners reach the goal, the others die along the
course. Concerning this there can be no doubt, and there is little
room for difference of interpretation.
The struggle may take the form of a literal battle between two
individuals, or of the individual with inclemency of climate or
other destructive agents.
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