THE DOGMA OF EVOLUTION 



they have never produced the slightest evidence that 

 thought has any connection with the positions of 

 atoms in the brain nor have they shown the slightest 

 similarity between purpose and physical energy. 

 The beliefs of this school of psychologists are as na'ive 

 and as incredible as are the crudest miracles of the age 

 of mythology. 



The social evolutionists place much emphasis on 

 what their doctrine means for civilization. They pic- 

 ture a steady progress of society from a herd of brutes 

 to our present society and foretell a future perfect 

 state when a reign of law shall control the conflicting 

 aims of egoism and altruism. It is rather difficult to 

 see what progress the cultivation of the physical and 

 biological sciences can accomplish except to extend 

 our knowledge of our environment and to increase 

 our material welfare. In this respect, our civilization 

 has been a great and signal expansion. The goal of 

 this scientific achievement is industrialism. We are 

 not ready to say that industrialism in even its best 

 aspects is the most desirable aim of life, and we cer- 

 tainly do not find that it has brought peace to the 

 world, or that it has reconciled the egoism and altru- 

 ism of the human race. 



What are we to think of this doctrine of progress 

 when we are not able to include in it an equal progress 

 in morals'? Can we deny what Buckle affirmed, that 

 the highest moral truths were known and practised 



