CH. xvn METAPHYSICS OF NATURAL SELECTION 185 



when animal "monstrosities" occur, they are not 

 strictly congenital. They are the result of accident 

 after development had begun. 



As to the reason why variation goes thus or thus in 

 so irregular a fashion ; in a different region one would be 

 inclined to interpret irregularity as meaning the (casual 

 or intermittent) blending of several (distinct) laws, the 

 imposing of several curves one upon another. And so 

 we should be brought back to a " chance " [under 

 obscure temporary conditions ?] blending of distinct 

 influences [parental, ancestral ?]. 



Tentatively then we would decide that Darwin 

 appeals to chance and that he is right in doing so. He 

 appeals to chance by the assumption that variation is 

 or may be random in its direction, harmful quite as 

 often as helpful. And still more tentatively we 

 propose to identify "chance" in this sense with 

 " chance " in a sense already discussed the mechanical 

 addition to each other of separate forces interfering 

 with one another's drift. In the present instance, the 

 forces in question are of the nature of hereditary 

 tendencies. But, while we suggest this view tentatively, 

 as good science, we are sure that it cannot be the final 

 truth on the point. The last word upon most topics 

 must be spoken not by science but by philosophy. 



Ill 



The phrase Natural Selection. Thirdly, we have 

 still farther to inquire whether, even on Darwin's own 

 view of evolution, the name natural selection is quite 

 a fair description of the evolutionary process. Darwin 

 the biologist may be right in his facts and causes, and 

 yet Darwin the philosopher may be wrong in the 



