THE DOGMA OF EVOLUTION 



living biologists. But the objection will not be just, 

 if it is kept in mind that the purpose of the book is 

 not to discuss the validity of evolution as a scientific 

 biological theory but rather to trace the effects of its 

 application to the broader fields of social life and 

 religion. The doctrine of the founders of evolution 

 was clear and it was pronounced with authority ; to- 

 day it is confused and broken with so many cross-cur- 

 rents that it is very doubtful if many of those who 

 confidently subscribe to the dogma of evolution as 

 the explanation of life, of society, and of religion, 

 know what it really requires us to believe. In spite of 

 the fact that much of the earlier specific work has 

 been discredited, it is equally true that modern biolo- 

 gists are still using the ideas and methods of their 

 predecessors. If these ideas and methods are funda- 

 mentally wrong, then the monistic and naturalistic 

 philosophy, which has followed from the doctrine of 

 evolution and which is still dominant, will fall also. 



