CHAPTER XIII.
HUMAN POPULATION IN THE FUTURE.
§ 371. Any further evolution in the most highly-evolved of terrestrial beings, Man, must be of the same nature as evolution in general. Structurally considered, it may consist in greater integration, or greater differentiation, or both—augmented bulk, or increased heterogeneity and definiteness, or a combination of the two. Functionally considered, it may consist in a larger sum of actions, or more multiplied varieties of actions, or both—a larger amount of sensible and insensible motion generated, or motions more numerous in their kinds and more intricate and exact in their co-ordinations, or motions that are greater alike in quantity, complexity, and precision.
Expressing the change in terms of that more special evolution displayed by organisms; we may say that it must be one which further adapts the moving equilibrium of organic actions. As was pointed out in First Principles, § 173, “the maintenance of such a moving equilibrium, requires the habitual genesis of internal forces corresponding in number, directions, and amounts to the external incident forces—as many inner functions, single or combined, as there are single or combined outer actions to be met.” And it was also pointed out that “the structural complexity accompanying functional equilibration, is definable as one in which there are as many specialized parts as are capable, separately and jointly, of counteracting the separate and joint forces amid which the organism exists.” Clearly, then, since all incompletenesses in Man as now constituted, are failures to meet certain of the outer actions (mostly involved, remote, irregular), to which he is exposed; every advance implies additional co-ordinations of actions and accompanying complexities of organization.
Or, to specialize still further this conception of future progress, we may consider it as an advance towards completion of that continuous adjustment of internal to external relations, which Life shows us. In Part I. of this work, where it was shown that the correspondence between inner and outer actions which under its phenomenal aspect, we call Life, is a particular kind of what, in terms of Evolution, we called a moving equilibrium; it was shown that the degree of life varies as the degree of correspondence. Greater evolution or higher life implies, then, such modifications of human nature as shall make more exact the existing correspondences, or shall establish additional correspondences, or both. Connexions of phenomena of a rare, distant, unobtrusive, or intricate kind, which we either suffer from or do not take advantage of, have to be responded to by new connexions of ideas, and acts properly combined and proportioned: there must be increase of knowledge, or skill, or power, or of all these. And to effect this more extensive, more varied, and more accurate, co-ordination of actions, there must be organization of still greater heterogeneity and definiteness.
§ 372. Let us, before proceeding, consider in what particular ways this further evolution, this higher life, this greater co-ordination of actions, may be expected to show itself.
Will it be in strength? Probably not to any considerable degree. Mechanical appliances are fast supplanting brute force, and doubtless will continue doing this. Though at present civilized nations largely depend for self-preservation on vigour of limb, and are likely to do so while wars continue; yet that progressive adaptation to the social state which must at last bring wars to an end, will leave the amount of muscular power to adjust itself to the requirements of a peaceful regime. Though, taking all things into account, the muscular power then required may not be less than now, there seems no reason why more should be required.
Will it be swiftness or agility? Probably not. In savages these are important elements of the ability to maintain life; but in civilized men they aid self-preservation in quite minor degrees, and there seems no circumstance likely to necessitate an increase of them. By games and gymnastic competitions, such attributes may indeed be artificially increased; but no artificial increase which does not bring a proportionate advantage can be permanent; since, other things equal, individuals and societies that devote the same amounts of energy in ways which subserve life more effectually, must by and by predominate.
Will it be in mechanical skill, that is, in the better-co-ordination of complex movements? Most likely in some degree. Awkwardness is continually entailing injuries and deaths. Moreover the complicated tools which civilization brings into use, are constantly requiring greater delicacy of manipulation. All the arts, industrial and æsthetic, as they develop, imply a corresponding development of perceptive and executive faculties in men: the two act and react.
Will it be in intelligence? Largely, no doubt. There is ample room for advance in this direction, and ample demand for it. Our lives are universally shortened by our ignorance. In attaining complete knowledge of our own natures and of the natures of surrounding things—in ascertaining the conditions of existence to which we must conform, and in discovering means of conforming to them under all variations of seasons and circumstances; we have abundant scope for intellectual progress.
Will it be in morality, that is, in greater power of self-regulation? Largely also: perhaps most largely. Right conduct is usually come short of more from defect of will than defect of knowledge. For the right co-ordination of those complex actions which constitute human life in its civilized form, there goes not only the pre-requisite—recognition of the proper course; but the further pre-requisite—a due impulse to pursue that course. On calling to mind our daily failures to fulfil often-repeated resolutions, we shall perceive that lack of the needful desire, rather than lack of the needful insight, is the chief cause of faulty action. A further endowment of those feelings which civilization is developing in us—sentiments responding to the requirements of the social state—emotive faculties that find their gratifications in the duties devolving on us—must be acquired before the crimes, excesses, diseases, improvidences, dishonesties, and cruelties, that now so greatly diminish the duration of life, can cease.