viii DARWINISM AND DESIGN 153 



an accidental variation distinguishes itself from a 

 myriad others by lifting organic structure permanently 

 on to a higher plane. It is only once in centuries that a 

 genius is born who does the same for social progress : 

 the great events in history are utterly unique, and turn 

 the course of things so thoroughly that they need never 

 be repeated. But all uniqueness makes a mock of Science, 

 which explains by rinding uniformities. 



Hence the teleological and the anti-teleological interpre 

 tation of events will never decide their conflict by appealing 

 to the facts : for in the facts each finds what it wills and 

 comes prepared to see. And yet the facts will not wholly 

 bear out either, so long as they present traces of what we 

 can describe as disorder in the one case, or order in the 

 other. The decision therefore needs an act of choice ; it 

 eminently calls for the exercise of our will to believe ; 

 it rests, like all the ultimate assumptions of our knowledge, 

 upon an act of faith. 



VII. The position, then, is this: i. If we take the 

 Darwinian assumptions as methodological, they are 

 perfectly legitimate, most fruitful and valuable, and 

 establish the fundamental biological law of Natural 

 Selection. But there is no conflict with the belief in 

 teleology, and the Argument from Design remains un 

 impaired. 



2. If we take the Darwinian assumption as representing 

 a fact, it is certainly destructive of all teleology. But the 

 fact is not established and is open to grave doubts on 

 scientific grounds, while its destruction of the teleological 

 argument is simply a foregone conclusion a priori. 



3. If, while admitting that indefinite variation has not 

 been shown to exist, we yet contend that it is the sole 

 working assumption by which the facts can be investigated, 

 and that the possibility of a purposive guidance must be 

 rigidly excluded from Science, we simply beg the question. 

 For certainly, if all the evidence is to be interpreted in 

 accordance with such canons, no evidence for teleology 

 can ever be found. One need not object to people 

 wearing blue spectacles if they like they are in fact 



