Let us now consider some of the arguments actually used in denying the power of environment.
Some little time ago the Rev. R. J. Campbell, of the London City Temple, preached a sermon on environment. From a report of that sermon I take the following passage:
His argument was that it was all nonsense to say that environment made the man. The man who had any manhood in him could rise above and beyond his environment, just as Bunyan soared above his tin kettles.
This is an example of the confusion of mind into which educated men fall when they deal with this simple subject.
Mr. Campbell's first mistake is the mistake of separating heredity from environment. Of course, it is nonsense to say that environment makes the man. But who did say anything so silly?
Heredity "makes the man," and environment modifies him. Having made that clear, let us consider Mr. Campbell's second sentence:
The man who had any manhood in him could rise above and beyond his environment, just as Bunyan soared above his tin kettles.
Mr. Campbell says: "The man who has any manhood in him." But suppose he has not any manhood in him! Suppose he is a poor human weed born of weeds. Can he bear wheat or roses? And if he only bears prickles or poison, who is to blame? Not the man, surely, for he did not choose his parents nor his nature. Shall we blame a mongrel born of curs of low degree' because he is not a bulldog?
A man can only realise the nature that he has, and can only realise that in accordance with environment.
But this same sentence shows that Mr. Campbell does not understand what we mean when we use the word "environment".