DISCUSSION 195 



As to the relation in which the doctrine of evolu 

 tion stands to Theism and Monism, Dr. Schmidt- 

 Jena said he only wished to remark that, in his 

 opinion, evolution, as such, was neither theistic 

 nor monistic. Father Wasmann laid stress upon 

 theism, and made it the foundation of the doctrine 

 of evolution and of all other sciences, whereas to 

 a monist the monistic philosophy of nature was a 

 deduction from the doctrine of evolution, at which 

 a scientist could arrive, if he chose, but he was not 

 bound to do so. 



The General Secretary of the Monistic 

 Association certainly made a very true and 

 very important concession, when he acknow 

 ledged that the doctrine of evolution as such 

 was neither theistic nor monistic. In 

 numerous passages in his works, Haeckel has 

 always represented the doctrine of evolution 

 as being an integral constituent of the 

 monistic view of life. Cf. Der Monismus als 

 Band zwischen Religion und Wissenschaft, 

 Jena, 1893, p. 19, etc. ; and Die Weltratsel, Bonn, 

 1899, pp. 271, 383, 437, etc. The speaker was, 

 however, inaccurate in his representation of 

 my opinions. I consider the theistic view of 

 life also to be a deduction, strictly conformable 

 to reason, from the scientific doctrine of evolu 

 tion. // evolution has taken place at all, it 

 must have had its origin in the creative action 



