ORTHOGENESIS 333 



CHAPTER VI. 



ORTHOGENESIS. 



Ipsum enim bormm non est opinionibus, eed natura. CICERO. 



Nunquam vera species ab utilitate dividitur. QUINTILIAN. 



Nature does not do so very ill herself, and in Nietzsche's estimation, 

 is not to be set down as immoral because she is without pity for the 

 degenerate. W. MACKINTIKE SALTEB. 



There is but one right, and the possibilities of wrong are infinite. 



T. H. HUXLEY. 



Peut-on vraiment continuer a soutenir que la differenciation en soi 

 et par soi, en tout et pour tout, marque un progres ? 



Ce sont les forces de 1' intelligence, activites de synthese, de co-ordi- 

 nation, d'alliance qui sont, pour 1'evolution humaine, les meres dont 

 parle Goethe, generatrices inepuisables des formes. BOUGL. 



The theory of orthogenesis, or progressive variation along 

 a definite line, is associated with the name of Prof. G. H. Th. 

 Eimer, and more particularly with his volume on " Organic 

 Evolution." His views are supposed to be Lamarckian and 

 Goethian. 



According to Prof. W. Bateson, orthogenesis at the present 

 day commends itself to some naturalists, although he thinks 

 that evidence in support of the theory is totally lacking. 



By crediting an organism with an innate tendency towards 

 certain lines of variation, the theory of orthogenesis is 

 supposed to solve the problem of the beginning of variations 

 before Natural Selection is able to take hold of them (that is, I 

 suppose, the pre-determination of variations by nutritional, 

 i.e., bio-economic factors, which pre-determination obviously 

 need not be set down as mere accident). But, say the critics, 

 it is still left an open question why the organism varies in 

 definite directions. My explanation is that it does so because 



