r84 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



human beings, and second, because it does not happen to be a law, but a hypo- 

 thesis much in debate ? " After all the words hypothesis and law can scarcely be 

 demarcated by so exact a line. Hypothesis really covers almost the entire region 

 of human reasoning, and reaches the domain of law when the integrated sum of 

 argument reaches infinity ; but we cannot state exactly when this happens. On the 

 whole, in the reviewer's opinion, the theory of evolution has scarcely been shaken 

 by recent criticisms, including those of the Mendelians. To him, natural selection 

 still remains by far the most probable explanation of species. Perhaps it cannot 

 be claimed to have passed into the region of absolute law, but it is not far from 

 there. At any rate no other hypothesis seems to him to be within a measurable 

 proportion of it in strength. But he agrees with Dr. Chalmers Mitchell that the 

 German interpretation of it does not apply. 



When he likes Dr. Chalmers Mitchell speaks very plainly. In Science 

 PROGRESS for January 191 5, Mr. Hugh Elliot gave a very decided review of 

 Mr. H. S. Chamberlain's recent work on Immanuel Kant ; but our present author 

 is still more decided when he talks of "pretentious blunderers like Houston 

 Chamberlain, the latter probably the least reliable of all who have peddled so- 

 called philosophy to the public." Later on he says, " I trace back to Kant the 

 dreaming megalomania that has destroyed the German sense of reality, and that 

 has made German 'Kultur' the enemy of the human race. Back to Kant, for 

 corruptio optimi pessima. Nietzsche, of whom so much has been made, is a terminal 

 flower of the tree of idealistic thought, beautiful, poisonous and sterile. N® doubt 

 he has got into the newspapers through Mr. Bernard Shaw, a very competent 

 publicist whose antics were agreeable in times of peace. But even Mr. Shaw is 

 only Nietzsche grinning through a horse-collar, a spectacle that his old patrons 

 find indecent when there are serious affairs on hand." It must be admitted that 

 these so-called philosophers have been largely to blame for this war, and are, 

 therefore, directly deserving of such censure. In fact, for a long time past the 

 cult of untruth has become a frequent and a profitable one. But nations no more 



than individuals can lie with impunity. 



Editor. 



