In order to determine the nature of any creature, both the type it should attain and the steps by which alone that type can be attained, must be taken into consideration, or we are led astray in our judgment of the nature of the individual. Thought is often confused by a vague use of the term ‘nature.’ The educated man is more natural than the savage, because he approaches more nearly to the true type of man, and has acquired the power of transmitting increased capacities to his children. What is popularly called a state of nature, is really a state of rudimentary life, which does not display the real nature of man, but only its imperfect condition. Striking instances of unusual imperfection may often be observed in the physical structure of the individual, for there are blind as well as intelligent forces at work, in the long and elaborate process of forming the complete human being. Thus, sometimes we find that the developmental process of the body goes wrong, and produces six fingers instead of five through successive generations, or the formative power of some organ runs blindly into excess, producing the diseased condition of hypertrophy. Arrest of development, also, may take place at any stage of youthful life as well as before birth, the consequence being deficiency of organic power, or even defective organs, although in such cases growth and repair continue, and even long life may be attained. These conditions are not natural, because, although they exist, they are contrary to the type of man. For the same reason the cannibal must be regarded as unnatural. In studying the individual human type, we find some points in which it resembles the lower animals, some points in which it differs from all others, and some temporary phases during which it passes from the brute type to the human. If it stop short at any stage of the regular sequence or development, it fails in its essential object, and, although living, it is unnatural.