CHAPTER I 



WHAT WE OWE TO DARWIN 



Biographical Darwin's Books The Naturalist's Problems The 

 first Question : What is This ? The second Question : How 

 does This work ? The third Question : Whence is This ? 

 The fourth Question : How have Present-day Organisms 

 come to be as they are ? Manifoldness of Darwin's Services 

 The Web of Life The Struggle for Existence Variability 

 of Living Creatures Natural Selection Vindication of the 

 Evolution Idea The Evolution Theory, a Model Interpreta- 

 tion Darwin's Argument Comparison of Evolution Formula 

 and Gravitation Formula The Descent and the Ascent of 

 Man Liberation of Intelligence Ideal of Scientific Mood 

 and Method Characteristics of Scientific Mood : Passion and 

 Reverence for Facts Scientific Caution Clearness of Vision 

 Sense of Interrelations Darwin's Method of Working 

 Darwin on his own Success Darwin's Achievements Co- 

 operating Influences Particular Reasons for Darwin's Success. 



BIOGRAPHICAL. Charles Darwin, the greatest natu- 

 ralist who has yet lived, was born at Shrewsbury 

 on February 12, 1809, on the same day as Abraham 

 Lincoln. Indeed the year was one of remarkable 

 children, for it saw the birth of Tennyson and 

 Gladstone, of Chopin and Mendelssohn, of Mrs. 

 Browning and Fanny Kemble, of Edgar Allan 

 Poe and John Hill Burton, of Edward Fitzgerald 

 and Oliver Wendell Holmes, and many more. We 

 shall not compare Darwin with any of the 

 illustrious personalities whom we have named, 

 for the comparison of incommensurables is always 

 unprofitable ; but without exaggeration, which 



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