THE DOGMA OF EVOLUTION 



of fixed species; while Darwinism is an attempt to 

 discover the causes and method of such variation. 

 Yet, in the popular mind, Darwinism has been so con- 

 fused with evolution that the two are likely to stand 

 or fall together as a philosophical explanation of the 

 problems of society and religion. 



That the controversy which arose over evolution is 

 a continuation of the earlier revolt accomplished by 

 the physical sciences was thoroughly understood by 

 its leaders. Darwin writes to Lyell : "I was much in- 

 terested by finding accidentally in Brewster's Life of 

 Newton that Leibnitz objected to the law of gravity 

 because Newton could not show what gravity itself 

 is. As it has chanced, I have used in letters this very 

 same argument, little knowing that any one had real- 

 ly thus objected to the law of gravity. . . . Leibnitz 

 further objected that the law of gravity was opposed 

 to Natural Religion I Is this not curious^ I really 

 think I shall use the facts for some introductory re- 

 marks for my bigger book."^ 



And, as might be expected, Huxley was clearer and . 

 more emphatic in linking evolution with physical 

 science. He wrathfully explodes during a defence of 

 the Origin of Species : "I hardly know of a great phys- 

 ical truth, whose universal reception has not been pre- 

 ceded by an epoch in which most estimable persons 

 have maintained that the phenomena investigated 



1 Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, by F. Darwin ; Appleton, 

 1887, vol. II, p. 83. 



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