238 THE LESSON OF EVOLUTION 



operation of the components." (1 c., 1, p. 122). In 

 this I quite agree with Mr. Spencer; but it is not 

 necessary to stop in his position. The idea of life 

 emerging from the co-operation of the components 

 of the protoplasm is not only inconceivable, but it 

 appears to me to be absolutely impossible. And, 

 although the importation of life into protoplasm 

 from without is also inconceivable, it does not appear 

 to be impossible ; for as a matter of fact we find 

 that it is there. 



One of the leading scientific monists is Professor E . 

 Haeckel, and he has published a book on the subject. 

 He says " an unmaterial living spirit is just as un- 

 thinkable as a dead spiritless material ; the two are 

 inseparably combined in every atom." 58 But let us 

 .see whether Professor Haeckel can make his com- 

 bination of mind and matter less unthinkable than 

 their separate existence. He first mentions the laws 

 of conservation of force and conservation of matter 

 (1 c., p. 16 and 17), altogether ignoring the law of 

 dissipation of energy. He then says that it is 

 probable that there is only one kind of matter 

 (pp. 25 and 26), and lastly, discusses the relation of 

 matter to the sether (p. 30), on which he says " I 

 believe that the solution of these fundamental ques- 

 tions still lies as yet beyond the limits of our know- 

 ledge of nature." And in note 11 he appears to 

 give up the idea that sether and matter are identical, 

 for in it he gives a provisional 'scheme of the relation 

 between these two "fundamental constituents of 

 the cosmos." It will thus be seen that he has no 



58" Monism," A. and C. Black, 1895, p. 58. 



