DISCUSSION 237 



palingenesis and csenogenesis, and have shown 

 that they cannot be reconciled in that so-called 

 fundamental law. In my lecture I assumed that 

 the biogenetic principle was generally known, and 

 therefore I did not discuss it in detail, knowing that 

 here in Berlin I was addressing a highly educated 

 audience. 



Dr. Schmidt-Jena and I are diametrically opposed 

 on the subjects of Theism and Monism. He regards 

 Monism as a deduction from the doctrine of evolution, 

 but I showed in my first lecture that the doctrine of 

 evolution as such, being a scientific hypothesis and 

 theory, is not in any way concerned with any theory 

 as to the cosmic position of man. I might with 

 equal right declare theism to be a deduction from 

 it ; in fact, I should have better justification for so 

 doing, for, in order to account for the origin of 

 primitive forms, whether their number was great or 

 small, if we view the matter from a scientific and 

 philosophical standpoint, we are forced to assume 

 the action of some principle other than spontaneous 

 generation, if this does not admit of scientific 

 demonstration. I cannot avoid the conclusion that 

 theism, even when one tries to support it by 

 scientific arguments and to compare it with monism, 

 proves to have a firmer foundation. It is untrue 

 to say that the doctrine of evolution, regarded as a 

 scientific hypothesis and theory, necessarily leads 

 to monism and pantheism. Such is not the case. 



Dr. Schmidt-Jena went on to say that he thought 



