448 Living in a World of Change 



We are confident of our independence in molding our 

 own destinies, in shaping our own course of conduct, in mak- 

 ing choices and decisions on principle, or on judicious weighing 

 of evidence. We are just as confident, however, that other 

 people, high and low, are swayed by considerations and in- 

 fluences that, to some degree at least, come from without. 

 We intimate, therefore, that there have been many inquiries 

 for this corner lot, in order to accelerate a sale. Or we inti- 

 mate that we have another purchase in view, in order to 

 obtain more favorable terms. More crudely, we promise 

 prosperity or heaven, we threaten calamity or hell, to swing 

 the " free " choice of others at election time. In other words, 

 we depend upon mechanisms just to the extent that we be- 

 come skillful in using them. We '' believe in " uniformities on 

 the level of mental phenomena, as against mysterious uncaused 

 processes and incalculable forces, in so far as we have direct 

 knowledge of how human thought and action really work. 



Response to Evolutionism 



The presentation of the doctrine of evolution (as indeed 

 of every important idea) calls forth two diametrically op- 

 posed sets of reactions from different groups of people. Nor 

 are the reactions at either pole consistent with each other. 

 There is the ready acceptance of evolution and its immediate 

 application in support or justification of previously held 

 views, or in the promotion of specific purposes. It is so 

 convenient to be able to say, " Science tells us " that our 

 favorite food fad, or our political theories, or our own brand 

 of social reform is in tune with the infinite. In all cases the 

 harmony thus established is quite plausible and logical. We 

 begin to doubt only when we find the same " science " tell- 

 ing so many things that mutually contradict one another. 

 The immediate resistance to the doctrine is similarly in- 

 fluenced by our preconceptions. Evolution is rejected be- 

 cause it discredits what we have already held — that is, 

 because it belittles our intelligence or our knowledge. And 



