CURRENT TENDENCIES n 



B. Evolutionism 



Evolutionism, in one form or another, is the prevail- 

 ing creed of our time. It dominates our politics, our 

 literature, and not least our philosophy. Nietzsche, 

 pragmatism, Bergson, are phases in its philosophic 

 development, and their popularity far beyond the circles 

 of professional philosophers shows its consonance with 

 the spirit of the age. It believes itself firmly based on 

 science, a liberator of hopes, an inspirer of an invigorat- 

 ing faith in human power, a sure antidote to the ratio- 

 cinative authority of the Greeks and the dogmatic author- 

 ity of mediaeval systems. Against so fashionable and so 

 agreeable a creed it may seem useless to raise a protest ; 

 and with much of its spirit every modern man must be in 

 sympathy. But I think that, in the intoxication of a 

 quick success, much that is important and vital to a true 

 understanding of the universe has been forgotten. Some- 

 thing of Hellenism must be combined with the new spirit 

 before it can emerge from the ardour of youth into the 

 wisdom of manhood. And it is time to remember that 

 biology is neither the only science, nor yet the model 

 to which all other sciences must adapt themselves. 

 Evolutionism, as I shall try to show, is not a truly 

 scientific philosophy, either in its method or in the 

 problems which it considers. The true scientific phil- 

 osophy is something more arduous and more aloof, appeal- 

 ing to less mundane hopes, and requiring a severer 

 discipline for its successful practice. 



Darwin's Origin of Species persuaded the world that the 

 difference between different species of animals and plants 

 is not the fixed, immutable difference that it appears to 

 be. The doctrine of natural kinds, which had rendered 

 classification easy and definite, which was enshrined in 



