EVOLUTION AND SOCIETY 



The first of these is the general statement of scien- 

 tific evolution. From the facts which have been ac- 

 cumulated by biologists relative to organic species 

 and heredity, a general law of evolution has been ac- 

 cepted as a part of biological science. According to 

 this law, species are mutually related in such a way 

 that those forms now in existence are modified forms 

 of previous species. Since this law is capable of state- 

 ment as a scientific generalization which can be sup- 

 ported by observation and experimentation it is a 

 thoroughly justifiable assumption and one with which 

 we have no quarrel. 



Secondly, the attempt has been made to determine 

 the cause of evolution and the method by which 

 species vary. From this attempt have arisen the hy- 

 potheses of natural selection, inheritance of acquired 

 traits, mutations, etc. I have contended that these hy- 

 potheses are not proved and are really metaphysical 

 and unverifiable in character. 



Thirdly, the hypotheses of the cause and method 

 of evolution inevitably lead to a mechanistic philoso- 

 phy in which the phenomena of life are to be ex- 

 plained by physical and chemical processes. Biology 

 is thus linked with physics. The facts are against this 

 mechanistic view of life and the hypotheses are un- 

 justifiable assumptions. 



Fourthly, the hypotheses of biological evolution 

 have been expanded to include the psychological 

 realm of consciousness and the social and ethical life 



C 303 3 



