The Metaphysics of Darwinism. 97 



mestication, the modifiability of organisms, and 

 thus grounded the presumption that species had 

 been gradually formed. And, in the second 

 place, under the guidance of Maltlmsianism it 

 showed that the world is inhabited by its present 

 denizens, and not by others, in consequence of the 

 superiority of their modifications over those of 

 their rivals in the general struggle for existence. 

 This is the essential content of Darwinism. And 

 it is manifestly consistent with any philosophy, 

 empirical or rational, spiritualistic or material 

 istic, theistic or atheistic. 



Nevertheless, I think every reader of the &quot; Ori 

 gin of Species &quot; would maintain that it seems to 

 explain something more than the natural processes 

 just indicated, and that, further, it is so far from 

 indifferent to philosophy that it draws much of ita 

 inspiration from a definite speculative system 

 a system, too, essentially opposed to that theism 

 which the author occasionally appropriates. And 

 there can be no doubt about the fact that most of 

 the evolutionists have identified the new doctrine N 

 with a philosophy of mechanism and fortuity. 

 By pure physical causation they hold that every 

 thing has been produced from a primeval nebula, 

 or gas-cloud. It was in the beginning, and it has 

 evolved life, intelligence, self -consciousness, all 



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