CHAPTER II 



HOMOLOGY AND ITS EVOLUTIONARY 

 INTERPRETATION 



The recent revival of interest in the problem of evolution 

 seems to have called forth two very opposite expressions of 

 opinion from those who profess to represent Catholic thought 

 on this subject. M. Henri de Dorlodot, in his *'Le Dar- 

 winisme," appears in the role of an ardent admirer of Darwin 

 and an enthusiastic advocate of the doctrine of Transformism. 

 The contrary attitude is adopted by Mr. Alfred McCann, whose 

 *'God — or Gorilla" is bitterly antagonistic not only to Dar- 

 winism but to any form whatever of the theory of Trans- 

 formism. Both of these works possess merits which it would be 

 unjust to overlook. Dorlodot deserves credit for having shown 

 conclusively that there is absolutely nothing in the Scriptures, 

 or in Patristic tradition, or in Catholic theology, or in the 

 philosophy of the Schools, which conflicts with our acceptance 

 of organic evolution as an hypothesis explanatory of certain 

 biological facts. In like manner, it must be acknowledged 

 that, even after a liberal discount has been made in penalty of 

 its bias and scientific inaccuracy, Mr. McCann's book still con- 

 tains a formidable residue of serious objections, which the 

 friends of evolution will probably find it more convenient to 

 sidestep than to answer. 



Unfortunately, however, neither of these writers maintains 

 that balanced mental poise which one likes to see in the 

 defenders of Catholic truth. Dorlodot seems too profoundly 

 impressed with the desirability of occupying a popular posi- 

 tion to do impartial justice to the problem at issue, and his 

 anxiety to keep in step with the majority blinds him apparently 



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