152 MODERN IDEAS OF EVOLUTION 



verse, so that practically agnosticism in some form 

 and evolution are usually found together. 



A recent explanation of Professor Huxley 

 places agnosticism in the most favourable light in 

 which it is possible to regard its tenets. He 

 says : 



Positively the principle may be expressed : In matters of 

 the intellect follow your reason as far as it will take you 

 without regard to any other consideration. And nega 

 tively : In matters of the intellect do not pretend that 

 conclusions are certain which are not demonstrated or 

 demonstrable. That I take to be the agnostic faith, 

 which if a man keep whole and undefiled he shall not be 

 ashamed to look the universe in the face, whatever the 

 * future may have in store for him. 



To this creed or faith/ in so far as intellectual 

 ^ conclusions are concerned, anyone might subscribe, 

 but with two reservations, one of them applicable to 

 each of its clauses. The expression follow your 

 reason must be taken with the qualification that 

 there are many cases in which to follow our indi 

 vidual reason against the testimony of those who may 

 be better informed would be madness ; and the ex 

 pression demonstrated must be taken with the 

 qualification that there are in most things different 

 degrees of probable proof, and that in the majority 

 of cases we can only adopt the most probable alter- 

 K native, without insisting on absolute demonstration. 



1 Nineteenth Century, February, 1889. 



