The architecture of humanism; a study in the history of taste

THE BIOLOGICAL

FALLACY

183

to law
;

beyond that field it holds true only by

analogy. Wecanjudgeanorganism

by

oneconstant

standard—itspowertosurvive: apowerthatvaries

inaknownprogression,a powerofsupremeimport-

ance. Butevenhere

—

^wherethesequenceofimma-

turity, primeand decayis a fact governedby pre-

dictable law

—

^the power to survive is no test of

aesthetic quality: th'e fragile unfoldingofaleafin

spring, its red corruption in autumn, are not less

beautiful than its strength in summer. And when

wehaveto

deal,notwith

atrueandliving

organism

butwithaseriesofworksofart,thetestsofevolu-

tionareevenmoremisleading. Forhereweourselves

definetheunitwhich weestimate. Wehavetobe

surethatoursequenceis reallyasequence andnot

anaccidentalgroup. Wehavetobesure

thatthere

isa permanent thread ofqualityby which the se-

quencemayatieverypointbejudged, andthatthis

qualityis ateachpoint thetruecentre

oftheart's

intention.

The fnere power of an architectural

traditiontosurvive—

couldweestimateit—^mightbe

a

permanentqualitybuthardlya

relevantone

;

for

the successive

moments ofan art are

self-justified

andself-complete. To estimateoneby

referenceto

another is a dangerous method of

criticism. The

archaic stage of

an artistic tradition is not

mere

immaturity of technique. It

implies a peculiar

aestheticaimand

conception,andapeculiar

relation