268 SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT. 



suggested the theory of descent : it was used by those 

 who most strongly repudiated such a doctrine. 1 



In the absence of any satisfactory explanation of the 

 continual recurrence of certain definite forms in nature, 

 and the presence of an evident relationship and a clear 

 indication of metamorphosis in single instances, it was 

 natural that morphologists of the first order, such as 

 Owen, and other authorities in science, such as Whewell 

 in England and Alexander Braun in Germany, should 

 have recourse to older views and vague philosophical 

 theories. Owen in 1848 spoke of a specific organising 

 principle which "moulds in subserviency to the exigencies 

 of the resulting specific forms," argues that the know- 

 ledge of such a being as man must " have existed before 

 man appeared, for the divine mind which planned the 

 archetype also foreknew all its modifications," and con- 

 cludes that we learn from the past history of our globe 

 that " nature has advanced with slow and stately steps, 

 guided by the archetypal light, amidst the wreck of 

 worlds, from the first embodiment of the vertebrate 

 idea under its old ichthyic vestment until it became 

 arrayed in the glorious garb of the human form." 2 



1 Huxley in 'Life of R. Owen,' 

 vol. ii. p. 302. 



2 See Owen's treatise ' On the 



perties of matter, there appears 

 also to be in counter - operation 

 during the building up of such 



Nature of Limbs,' 1849, pp. 85, j bodies the polarising force pervad- 



86. In the essay ' On the Arche- ing all space, and to the operation 



type and Homologies of the Verte- of which force, or mode of force, 



brate Skeleton,' he concludes with i the similarity of forms, the rep- 



the following remarks : " Now, be- 

 sides the idea, organising principle, 

 vital property, or force, which pro- 

 duces the diversity of form belong- 

 ing to living bodies of the same 

 materials, which diversity cannot 

 be explained by any known pro- 



etition of parts, the signs of the 

 unity of organisation may be 

 mainly ascribed. The Platonic 

 ISea or specific organising principle 

 or force would seem to be in an- 

 tagonism with the general polar- 

 ising force, and to subdue and 



