A GREAT COJSTFESSION: 59 



taken alone, to explain all the facts of organic evolution, is a 

 case of little or no value for the purpose, yet the attitude of 

 mind into which he is thrown in the conduct of his argument 

 leads him to results which are eminently instructive. The im- 

 pulse " critically to examine " such a phrase as " natural selec- 

 tion" is in itself an impulse quite certain to be fruitful. The 

 very origin of that impulse gives it of necessity right direction. 

 Antagonism to a prevalent dogma so unreasoning as to set up 

 such a mere phrase as the embodiment of a complete philosophy, 

 is an antagonism thoroughly wholesome. Once implanted in 

 Mr. Herbert Spencer's mind, it is curious to observe how admira- 

 bly it illustrates the idea of development. Having first sought 

 some shelter of authority under words of the great prophet him- 

 self, he becomes more and more aggressive against the pretend- 

 ers to his authority. His grumbles against them become loud 

 and louder as he proceeds. He speaks of " those who have com- 

 mitted themselves to the current exclusive interpretation." * He 

 observes upon " inattention and reluctant attention " as leading 

 to the ignoring of facts. He speaks of " alienation from a be- 

 lief " as " causing naturalists to slight the evidence which sup- 

 ports that belief, and refuse to occupy themselves in seeking fur- 

 ther evidence." He compares their blindness now respecting 

 the insufficiency of natural selection with the blindness of natu- 

 ralists to the facts of evolution before Darwin's book appeared. 

 He marshals and reiterates the obvious considerations which 

 prove that the development of animal forms must necessarily 

 depend on an immense number and variety of adjusted changes 

 in many different organs, all co-operating with each other, and 

 • all nicely adjusted to the improved functional actions in which 

 they must all partake. He reduces the practical impossibility 

 of such changes occurring as the result of accident to a nu- 

 merical computation. He tells his opponents that the chances 

 against any adequate readjustments fortuitously arising " must 

 be infinity to one." f But more than this : he not only repels 

 the Darwinian factor as adequate by itself, but, advancing in 

 his conclusions, he declares that it must be eliminated alto- 

 gether. On further consideration he tells us that in his opinion 

 it can have neither part nor lot in this matter. He insists that 

 the correlated changes are so numerous and so remote that the 

 greater part of them can not be ascribed (even) in any degree to 

 the mere selection of favorable variations. X Then facing the 

 opponents whose mingled credulities and incredulities he has so 

 offended, he rebukes their fanaticisms according to a well-known 



* Page 581. ("Popular Science Monthly," vol. xxviii, p. 'T'ZO.) 

 f Page 571. (" Popular Science Monthly," vol. xxviii, p. "765.) 

 \ Page 574. (" Popular Science Monthly," vol. xxviii, p. 761.) 



