EVOLUTION OF LIFE ON THE EARTH 3 



The explanations of today's scientists are thoroughly different from 

 those of past times. Scientific research of our days attributes no im- 

 portance to the cleverest inventions of the mind. It considers as its task a 

 knowledge which can only be acquired by indefatigable labor and toiling. 

 If a modern scientist wishes to explain a natural phenomenon such as the 

 burning of a candle, the growth of a plant, the freezing of water, the bleach- 

 ing of a dye, he asks the question not to himself, not to his mind, but to the 

 phenomenon or to the condition itself. When trying to explain a natural 

 phenomenon the modern scientist, first of all, inquires what precedes this 

 phenomenon and what follows after it. . . . (Quoted from J. Liebig, Che- 

 mische Brief e, 1850.) 



From this viewpoint, if we attempt to find explanations 

 for what is termed "determinism," etc., we have to confess 

 that we know very little indeed. Our ignorance is so great 

 that we may truly feel alarmed about it. Many may doubt 

 whether our science will ever grow wise enough to clear up 

 the underlying causes thoroughly. But even in such a case 

 we should not mask our ignorance under high-sounding 

 technical terms. 



It is quite obvious that the originators of all the elaborate 

 terms such as vital force or determinism took it for granted 

 that nature aims primarily at creating purposeful organisms. 

 But in this regard these learned men were thoroughly mis- 

 taken since an unprejudiced investigation proves that enor- 

 mous numbers of plants and animals with an inadequate 

 make-up are constantly being formed. The late J. Loeb, 

 biologist of The Rockefeller Institute, has demonstrated 

 this fact through his studies on cross fertilization in marine 

 animals; he showed that by fertilization of the eggs of one 

 fish by the sperm of another fish, animals are generated in 

 which some of the organs indispensable for life are absent. 

 Since sperm or eggs of countless fish freely float in the ocean 

 water and since cross fertilization frequently occurs, de- 

 ficient creatures must be generated in a number probably 

 equaling that of animals with adequate organs. Naturally 

 only the latter survive. 



The plain fact is that all plants or animals that have no 



