In working out his ideas of evolution, Spencer found that
differentiation was not the only form of evolution. In its simplest
form evolution is mainly a concentration, previously scattered
elements being integrated and losing independent movement.
Differentiation is only forthcoming when minor wholes arise within a
greater whole. And the highest form of evolution is reached when there
is a harmony between concentration and differentiation, a harmony
which Spencer calls equilibration and which he defines as a moving
equilibrium. At the same time this definition enables him to
illustrate the expression "survival of the fittest." "Every living
organism exhibits such a moving equilibrium--a balanced set of
functions constituting its life; and the overthrow of this balanced
set of functions or moving equilibrium is what we call death. Some
individuals in a species are so constituted that their moving
equilibria are less easily overthrown than those of other
individuals; and these are the fittest which survive, or, in Mr.
Darwin's language, they are the select which nature preserves."[200]
Not only in the domain of organic life, but in all domains, the summit
of evolution is, according to Spencer, characterised by such a
harmony--by a moving equilibrium.
Spencer's analysis of the concept of evolution, based on a great
variety of examples, has made this concept clearer and more definite
than before. It contains the three elements; integration,
differentiation and equilibration. It is true that a concept which is
to be valid for all domains of experience must have an abstract
character, and between the several domains there is, strictly
speaking, only a relation of analogy. So there is only analogy between
psychical and physical evolution. But this is no serious objection,
because general concepts do not express more than analogies between
the phenomena which they represent. Spencer takes his leading forms
from the material world in defining evolution (in the simplest form)
as integration of matter and dissipation of movement; but as he--not
always quite consistently[201]--assumed a correspondence of mind and
matter, he could very well give these terms an indirect importance for
psychical evolution. Spencer has always, in my opinion with full
right, repudiated the ascription of materialism. He is no more a
materialist than Spinoza. In his _Principles of Psychology_ (§ 63) he
expressed himself very clearly: "Though it seems easier to translate
so-called matter into so-called spirit, than to translate so-called
spirit into so-called matter--which latter is indeed wholly
impossible--yet no translation can carry us beyond our symbols." These
words lead us naturally to a group of thinkers whose starting-point
was psychical evolution. But we have still one aspect of Spencer's
philosophy to mention.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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