ANALYTICAL CONTENTS xv 



PART II 

 SIMPLE EVOLUTIONISM SPENCER, STEPHEN 



CHAPTER VII 



DARWINIAN AND SPENCERIAN CONCEPTIONS OF EVOLUTION 



DARWIN 



Evolution came as a surprise Darwin deals with biology With species 

 only Taking " Struggle " from Malthus, he perceives in it (Natural) 

 " Selection " A true cause, but minute ; an immensely slow process 

 Compare the replies to Malthus Sexual Selection accelerating 

 Or Use-Inheritance But too much Lamarck, making variation not 

 " casual," but purposeful, would render unnecessary the " Selective " 

 action of " Nature " Eecent doubts as to use-inheritance. 



CHAPTER VIII 



DARWINIAN AND SPENCERIAN CONCEPTIONS OF EVOLUTION 



SPENCER 



A cosmic philosophy Resting on correlation of forces And on hypothesis 

 of organic evolution Emphasising natural (physical, material) law 

 Darwinism as a cosmic philosophy ? Alexander Cf. Lotze Cf. Fiske 

 Spencer values true use-inheritance as accounting for a priori know- 

 ledge But natural selection is not the source of his laissez faire 

 doctrine ; he looks forward to a future " balance " His relation to 

 embryology Evolution means growing complexity In terms of 

 matter Two other phases Dissolution as death As catastrophe 

 Equilibrium is theoretical and prophetic Spencer's sequence of the 

 three phases Criticisms : on the assumed beginning of the process 

 On its isolation On equilibrium, as involving a different point of 

 view Reason is more than a new phase of complexity The whole 

 process breaks up into a series of separate evolutions in complexity. 



CHAPTER IX 



MR. SPENCER'S THREE DOCTRINES OF HUMAN WELFARE 



Goodness is more evolved conduct, i.e. is " wisdom " An appeal to (cosmic) 

 history ! It is balance, of egoism and altruism An appeal to 



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