CONCLUSION Ixxxix 



brought nature into existence and made it such as it is." 

 He regarded the universe as having some goal or purpose, 

 known only to its sublime author. His philosophy throughout 

 is far inferior to that of many of his elder contemporaries; 

 such as Diderot or d'Holbach. 



As a pure zoologist, he has not the reputation of 

 Cuvier. At the same time his judgment and method were 

 of a very high order, as shown by the groups estabHshed 

 by him and still recognised at the present day ; e.g. 

 Annelids, Arachnids, Myriapods, Vertebrates. We must, 

 remember that he upheld against overwhelming odds the 

 banner of organic evolution. There can be no justifica- 

 tion for the contempt with which many people now 

 speak of Lamarck, merely because his idea of the 

 evolutionary process differed from ours. So great a truth 

 can only be discovered by the efforts of several genera- 

 tions. While therefore he was not a first-class philosopher 

 or perhaps zoologist, yet he derived a certain advantage 

 and width of view from the combination of these two 

 interests. He was able to draw his conclusions from a 

 wider basis than would have been possible to a more limited 

 specialism. 



I am aware that there are many who repudiate all sug- 

 gestion of a philosophical treatment of scientific problems. 

 Such a view cannot for a moment be defended. It arises 

 from the fact that the name philosophy is so often used 

 as synonymous with metaphysics : and that the most in- 

 accessible problems of science have been so often treated to 

 bushels of high-sounding words from which no genuine 

 solutions can issue. Yet it remains indisputable that only 

 by a large knowledge of general principles, as well as of 

 details, can any true progress result. A man may be in- 

 timately versed in the anatomy, physiology, classification 

 and distribution of earwigs, and yet be entirely destitute 

 of biological judgment : just as a mechanic may know the 

 minutest details of his machine, and yet be wholly unable 

 to improve it ; while the engineer who has never seen it 



