Page:Divine Selection or The Survival of the Useful.djvu/25

 ness or unselfishness is in the Creator who made it and propagates it. Since the tree serves itself only that it may serve others, that is, its existence is wholly one of service to other things, we are forced to conclude that the Creator is unselfish, and the law of the tree's existence is unselfish.

The same reasoning applies to animals. Though they are of a higher order of life, they are as bound to their instincts as a tree is to its roots. They can no more transcend their instincts than vegetation can its order. Their self-love simply perpetuates their existence, which is fundamental to their unselfish uses. The greater law of use here also nullifies selfishness, and makes nature, because of her universal service, as unselfish as her uses are general.

It ought not to be difficult to perceive that an infinitely good Creator can make neither nature nor man self-