APPENDIX. 585 



tinction of the Celtic languages. Advance towards homo- 

 geneity would be shown if the various languages in Europe, 

 having been previously unlike, were, while still existing, to 

 become gradually more like. But the supplanting of one by 

 another, or of some by others, no more implies any tendency 

 of languages to become alike, than does the supplanting of 

 species, genera, orders, and classes of animals, one by another, 

 during the evolution of life, imply the tendency of organisms 

 to assimilate in their natures. Even if the most heterogene- 

 ous creature, Man, should overrun the Earth and extirpate 

 the greater part of its other inhabitants, it would not imply 

 any tendency towards homogeneity in the proper sense. It 

 would remain true that organisms tend perpetually towards 

 heterogeneity, individually and as an assemblage. Of course 

 if all kinds but one were destroyed, they could no longer dis- 

 play this tendency. Display of it would be limited to the 

 remaining kind, which would continue, as now, to show it 

 in the formation of local varieties, becoming gradually more 

 divergent; and the like is true of languages. 



In the next case Mr. Leslie identifies progressing unifica- 

 tion with advance towards homogeneity. His words are: — 



" Already Europe has nearly consolidated itself into a Heptarchy, the 

 number of states into which England itself was once divided ; and the 

 result of the American War exemplifies the prevalence of the forces tend- 

 ing to homogeneity over those tending to heterogeneity." 



To this the reply is that these cases exemplify, rather, the 

 prevalence of the forces which change the incoherent into the 

 coherent — which effect integration. That is, they exemplify 

 Evolution under its primary aspect. In the Principles of Soci- 

 ology, Part II. chap 3, Mr. Leslie will find numerous kindred 

 cases brought in illustration of this law of Evolution. To 

 which add that such integrations bring after them greater 

 heterogeneity, not greater homogeneity. The divisions of the 

 Heptarchy were societies substantially like one another in 

 their structures and activities; but the parts of the nation 

 which correspond to them, have been differentiated into parts 

 carrying on varieties of occupations with entailed unlikenesses 

 of structures — here purely agricultural, there manufacturing; 

 here predominantly given to coal mining and iron smelting, 

 there to weaving; here distinguished by scattered villages, 

 there by clusters of large towns. 



Again, it is alleged that an increasing homogeneity is 

 shown in fashion. " Once every rank, profession, and district 

 39 



