MONISTIC EVOLUTION 121 



The opponents of the doctrine of evolution are very 

 fond of branding the monistic philosophy grounded upon it 

 as materialism, by comparing philosophical materialism 

 with the wholly different and censurable moral materialism. 

 Strictly, however, our own monism might as accurately or 

 as inaccurately be called spiritualism as materialism. The 

 real materialistic philosophy asserts that the phenomena of 

 vital motion, like all other phenomena of motion, are effects 

 or products of matter. The other opposite extreme, spiritual 

 istic philosophy, asserts on the contrary that matter is the 

 product of motive force, and that all material forms are 

 produced by free forces entirely independent of the matter 

 itself. Thus, according to the materialistic conception of 

 the universe, matter precedes motion or active force ; ac 

 cording to the spiritualistic conception of the universe, on 

 the contrary, active force or motion precedes matter. Both 

 views are dualistic, and we hold them both to be equally 

 false. A contrast to both is presented in the monistic 

 philosophy, which can as little believe in force without 

 matter as in matter without force. 



It is evident that if Haeckel limits himself and his 

 opponents to matter and^force as the sole possible 

 explanations of the universe, he may truly say that 

 matter is inconceivable without force, and force in 

 conceivable without matter. ;!}But the question arises, 

 What is the monistic power beyond these, the Power 

 behind Nature ? and as to the true nature of this the 

 Jena philosopher gives us only vague generalities, 

 though it is quite plain that he cannot admit a 

 spiritual Creator. Further, as to the absence of any 

 spiritual element from the nature of man, he does not 

 leave us in doubt as to what he means ; for, imme- 



