Philosophic Evolution. 185 



mann ; and that the testimony of no less an opponent 

 than Professor Huxley himself has borne witness to its 

 vitality. Moreover, as will be almost immediately urged, 

 recently discovered scientific facts and the direction of 

 modern biological thought favour philosophical concep- 

 tions universally prevalent amongst men of culture four 

 centuries ago, but which have since been generally ne- 

 glected and ignored. 



If, then, such a revival as is here indicated is indeed 

 to be looked for; if that philosophy, in the terms of 

 which the various Christian doctrines have been defined, 

 is likely once more to play a prominent and dominant 

 part in the intellectual world, it is almost needless to 

 point out that there can be no fear for Christianity. 

 That evolution is taking such a course the present writer 

 believes, and he consequently also believes that scientific 

 and political evolution can but favour Christianity, in the 

 modes predicted in former chapters of this essay, on the 

 condition that philosophic evolution should be found to 

 take no hostile direction. But if post- Cartesian philosophy 

 has been so wanting in positive results, even from its 

 own point of view, as is here maintained, are the gyra- 

 tions it has gone through useless, and will the world 

 be none the better for the expenditure of so much effort 



cathartic, and that as we may improve our actual breathing or diges- 

 tion through a knowledge of physiology, so we may practically improve 

 our actual reasoning through a knowledge of the laws of thought. 



