CHAPTER XX 



HEREDITY 



Early inquiries Hereditary Genius English Men of Science 

 Family records Nature and Nurture Experiments on Free Will 

 Pangenesis and transfusion of blood Heredity concerned with 

 deviations Experiments on peas Regression Ancestral law 



THE publication in 1859 of the Origin of Species 

 by Charles Darwin made a marked epoch in 

 my own mental development, as it did in that of 

 human thought generally. Its effect was to demolish 

 a multitude of dogmatic barriers by a single stroke, 

 and to arouse a spirit of rebellion against all ancient 

 authorities whose positive and unauthenticated state- 

 ments were contradicted by modern science. 



I doubt, however, whether any instance has 

 occurred in which the perversity of the educated 

 classes in misunderstanding what they attempted to 

 discuss was more painfully conspicuous. The mean- 

 ing of the simple phrase " Natural Selection " was 

 distorted in curiously ingenious ways, and Darwinism 

 was attacked, both in the press and pulpit, by persons 

 who were manifestly ignorant of what they talked 

 about. This is a striking instance of the obstructions 

 through which new ideas have to force their way. 

 Plain facts are apprehended in a moment, but the 

 introduction of a new Idea is quite another matter, for 



it requires an alteration in the attitude and balance of 



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