Struggle for Existence

Organic beings in a state of nature has some individual variability.

My book is based on the existence of:

• individual variability
• some few well-marked varieties

But these help us little in understanding how species arise in nature.

How have all those adaptations been perfected?

How do varieties become distinct species?

which in most cases obviously differ from each other far more than do the varieties of the same species?

Genera are groups of species. How do their differences with other genera arise?

These are caused by the struggle for life.

All variations are for self-preservation. These will generally be inherited by its offspring.

Of the many individuals of any species which are born, only a few can survive.

I have called this principle as Natural Selection in order to relate it to artficial selection [used in breeding].

By selection, humans can adapt organic beings to his own uses through the accumulation of slight but useful variations given to him by Nature.

But Natural Selection is:

• a power incessantly ready for action.
• as immeasurably superior to man’s feeble efforts, as the works of Nature are to those of Art.

The struggle for existence

The elder De Candolle and Lyell have shown that all organic beings are exposed to severe competition.

W. Herbert, Dean of Manchester had great horticultural knowledge. He showed this for plants.

The universal struggle for life is:

• the easiest to admit
• the hardest to keep in mind*

Superphysics Note

This is because the idea is very negative, but the mind is postiive

Yet unless it be thoroughly engrained in the mind, I am convinced that the whole economy of nature, with every fact on distribution, rarity, abundance, extinction, and variation, will be dimly seen or quite misunderstood.

We are happy to see the superabundance of food in Nature. But we forget that:

• the birds which sing around us are constantly destroying life by eating insects or seeds.
• their eggs are destroyed by beasts of prey
• food might be scarce in the next season even if they are now superabundant

This “Struggle for Existence” is metaphorical. It includes:

• the dependence of one being on another
• the individual’s life
• the success in having offspring.

Two canine animals in a time of dearth, might struggle with each other on which shall get food.

But a plant in a desert struggles for life against the drought by being dependent on moisture.

A plant might only have a few of its thousands of seeds reach maturity.

• It struggles with the other plants that already exist.

Several seedling missletoes that grow close together on the same branch struggle with each other.

The missletoe is spread by birds and so its existence depends on birds.

• It metaphorically struggles with other fruit-bearing plants, in order to tempt birds to devour and thus disseminate its seeds rather than those of other plants.

The high population growth rate of organic beings inevitably leads to a struggle for existence.

Hence, the more population increases, the more the struggle for existence.*

Superphysics Note

This is only true if those beings are inherently negative and selfish

This doctrine is the doctrine of Malthus applied with manifold force to the animal and vegetable kingdoms. This is because in the wild:

• food cannot be increased artificially
• marriages cannot be restrained