PSYCHOLOGY CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 20253, 14 August 1929, Page 14

PSYCHOLOGY CLUB

ADDRESS BY DR HDLLOWAY

Miss Mercer presided at the last open meeting of the Dunedin Psychology Club, when Dr Holloway addressed members on ‘ Progressive Evolution in Human Society.’ Dr Holloway, who was closely followed throughput his interesting lecture, began by explaining specialised and generalised types. The latter were those capable of giving rise to further lines of* evolution. The -animal and plant kingdom were both full of special iscd and over-specialised types. Exces sivo specialisation to a given set of con ditions meant inability to adapt to other conditions. Thus specialisation incurred limitation, which led to the beginning of the end. Generalised type was more normal and ordinary, not being tied down to a set of conditions, but able to flourish anywhere. The successful human being was one who could adapt himself to any conditions when forced to relinquish usual pursuits or wishing to change circumstances. The fossil record was the history of , the rise and decline of types which became overspecialised. In the evolution of plants the great force natural selection _ operated, and in the case of man artificial selection. Man had been able to thwart the effects of natural selection, and was then able to control his evolution to a great extent. Biological inheritance held in the case of all living organisms, and it meant that characters must be present in the germ cells if they were to be inherited. Any acquired characters which affected the' body cells only could not be inherited. S'ocial inheritance concerned human society only, and was not connected with biological inheritance. By this extra inheritance man was able to hand on the accumulated effect of habits and'customs. This was where the effect of education .was felt, passing on raised standards of thought and morals, and in tho atmosphere of these raised standards tho next generation was brought up. [n tho onward march of human progress where and how was man to evolve? The limit of progressive evolution along physical lines seemed to have been reached. There was no evidence that organs ot the body, such as eyes and teeth, were improving. Primitive man was better equipped from physical standard than present-day types, and the average capacity of brain power ol tho old Greeks was beyond that of the English of to-day. Education could develop qualities which were potentially present, but could not take an individual beyond his intellectual capacity, and tho child ol a highly educated father had to acquire education through its own efforts. No mechanical way to perfect condition ot affairs could bo associated with human free will. Biologically speaking, education did not play a direct part in progressive evolution. Biological inheritance had brought man to a certain stage of evolution, and so far as could bo told it was not taking him any further. Prom a wider and deeper point of view man, however, was only at the beginning of his evolution. History showed that there was a progressive evolution in human attributes, standards of life and thought, social organisation of communities, religions and scientific outlook.

The difference between biological inheritance and social inheritance in man was paralleled by the kind of evolution which had been induced in various cultivated animals and plants. Sugar beet brought from tho wilds and artificially cultivated by man yielded higher sugar content than when in the primitive state. Development of this kind had not como about through changes in the inherited constitution, but by providing more favourable conditions for growth. Specialised types of human society had arisen, such as Anglo-Saxon, American. Chinese, and the over-specialised Roman had perished. Ono age after another inherited certain political creeds, and on this account different types had come about. Man was evolving in tho direction of more co-operation and spirit of service. Each generation had a stronger belief in and longing for justice and freedom from prejudice and superstition. Each unit was recognised as being necessary and having a part to play. _ Progressive development ol tho individual induced a corresponding effect upon the whole of society. The raising of tho thoughts and standard of life of the individual was tho ultimate cause of social evolution. At the conclusion of his address Dt Holloway was accorded a vote ot thanks. Misses Driver and Paterson contributed musical and elocutionary items, Mrs Do Beer acting as accompanist.