CHAPTER II 



THE EVOLUTION OF THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION 



THE theory of evolution has served the pur- 

 pose of interpreting for us the material- 

 istic side of modern society, but we may gain 

 further light if we reverse the usual order of 

 inquiry and look for the social influences which 

 prompted the development of the theory Itself. 

 Perhaps we may be able to discover why it is 

 that modern science has stressed so strongly 

 the biological aspects of human nature and so 

 neglected the psychological, or spiritual. 



7. Background in English History 



Our inquiry introduces us first to England 

 of the dawning modern age, the social condi- 

 tions of which we shall attempt to sketch 

 briefly. At the time in question we see feu- 

 dalism retreating in the background, like shad- 

 ows before a light. The feudal system was in 

 essence comparatively simple, being the ex- 

 panded organization of war chief and despoiled 

 serf after the friction of experience had worn 

 the harsh exploitation of the original conquest 



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