6 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF EDUCATION. 
11 the tendencies that are now at work for their improvement, concludes 
“hat over and above mere learning, over and above political and social 
raining, over and above civil improvements, there is needed in the life 
of humanity, and for the solution of humanity’s problem, an altruistic 
shilosophy of divine authority, and of divine persuasiveness, which will 
guarantee among men the observance of truth, and of justice, and of 
charity in human relationship. And he concludes that the solution of 
all the problems of the world, which the world’s education has tried to 
solve, must in the last chiefly depend upon the spiritual powers in the 
world. And, says he, the aim of the political economist ought therefore 
-0 be to establish universal authority, the word and power of the old spir- 
‘tual influences now existing, or to make some spirit influence to take 
their place. Fortunately, the whole task may well be dispensed with. But 
the solution arrived at by Professor Ingraham, after the most philosophical 
study of the history of economics that I have ever read, is the one I have 
just mentioned to you. Some, however, will find fault with that. 
Another will answer old Socrates and say : No, it is not there that the 
solution is to be found ; the solution of human ills is to be found in the 
2dvance of science; and in proportion as we bring human life info har- 
mony with the great scheme of evolution, peace and prosperity will reign 
in the world. And therefore the method of education is to train the young 
bo study nature ; train them to be discoverers ; train them to be investi- 
gators ; train them to acquire facts and classify them, in order to bring 
human life into harmony with the great cosmic development. Fortu- 
aately, we have within the last few weeks had a verdict passed upon this 
doctrine by a man who, perhaps more than any other man in the world, is 
competent to pass judgment upon it—Mr. Huxley, in a lecture which he 
jelivered at Oxford last May, on the application of the cosmic develop 
ment to the realities of human life; and he acknowledged that the scien- 
tific development, or cosmic development, proved a dead failure when it 
same to be a standard for the practical affairs of human life. For, said 
he, in the cosmic évolution the two great elements are the struggle for 
existence, and the survival of the fittest. But now, said he, let me im- 
gress upon you that the survival of the fittest does not always mean the 
survival of the best. On the contrary, said he, the survival of the fittest 
often means the survival of the meanest and the lowest. For instance, 
said he, if by some cosmic change the temperature of our globe could 
be lowered a certain number of degrees, the survival of the fittest would 
mean there would remain alive only the lowest forms of vegetable and 
,nimal life that could subsist in such a climate. If, on the contrary, by 
some cosmic development the atmosphere of our globe could be raised in 
temperature, there would be found only the gigantic development of the 
tropical region. Therefore,” said he, tthe survival of the fittest does not 
mean the survival of the best ; generally quite the contrarv. Conse- 
quer: 
ethic 
hanc 
the | 
have 
that 
ethic 
whe 
om 
1 
phia 
the 
this 
intr 
of 1 
of ¢ 
in « 
plac 
beil 
logi 
in ¢ 
be : 
20¢ 
Cor 
the 
bel 
the 
ext 
tha 
WO 
ju 
yO 
fol 
ac 
LO 
In 
ni: 
n 
th: 
de 
DO 
1 
4] 4