reasonably conclude that, if we know the character of a man--or a
group of men--and if we know also the line of action which he--or
they-have followed in the past, we shall be able to predict his--or
their--line of action in the future with considerable accuracy;
and that the accuracy will increase with the number of men in the
group, and the length of time during which they have followed the
known line of action. Le Bon says: "Every race carries in its mental
constitution the laws of its destiny."

Therefore, the line of action that the entire human race has followed
during the centuries of the past is a good index--or at least the
best index that we have--to its line of action during the centuries
of the future.

Now, men have been on this earth for many years; and history and
psychology teach us that in their intercourse with each other,
their conduct has been caused by a combination of many forces,
among which are certain powerful forces that tend to create strife.
The strongest by far of these forces is the _ego_ in man himself,
a quality divinely implanted which makes a man in a measure
self-protecting. This ego prompts a man not only to seek pleasure
and avoid trouble for himself, but also to gain superiority, and,
if possible, the mastery over his fellow men. Men being placed in
life in close juxtaposition to each other, the struggles of each
man to advance his own interests produce rivalries, jealousies,
and conflicts.

Similarly with nations. Nations have been composed for the most
part of people having an heredity more or less common to them all,
so that they are bound together as great clans. From this it has