Ill 



THE METHOD BY WHICH THE CAUSES OF THE 

 PRESENT AND PAST CONDITIONS OF ORGANIC 

 NATURE ARE TO BE DISCOVERED. THE 

 ORIGINATION OF LIVING BEINGS. 



IN the two preceding lectures I have endeavoured 

 to indicate to you the extent of the subject-matter 

 of the inquiry upon which we are engaged ; and 

 having thus acquired some conception of the past 

 and present phenomena of organic nature, I must 

 now turn to that which constitutes the great prob 

 lem which we have set before ourselves ; I mean, 

 the question of what knowledge we have of the 

 causes of these phenomena of organic nature, and 

 how such knowledge is obtainable. 



Here, on the threshold of the inquiry, t an 

 objection meets us. There are in the world a 

 number of extremely worthy, well-meaning 

 persons, whose judgments and opinions arc 

 entitled to the utmost respect on account of 

 their sincerity, who are of opinion that vital 



