PKOGRESS IN EVOLUTION 257 



that the earth was heaved off from the central mass as a 

 spiral nebula, and that the other planets had a similar 

 origin. During a prolonged period, the earth consoli- 

 dated and became fit to be a home of life. Is increase 

 of intricacy and definiteness necessarily progressive, or 

 is the note of progress in the possibility of something 

 new ? The integration of the earth and all that in it 

 was, opened up the possibility of living creatures. If 

 it was not progress, it was surely in that direction. 



Organic Evolution. — ^Many millions of years ago, in 

 some unknown way, living creatures began to be upon 

 the earth ; and as age followed age, they were succeeded 

 by forms on the whole more complicated, controlled, 

 emancipated, and intelligent. Now, if the advent of 

 more masterful, controlled, free, intelligent forms of life 

 means progress, then organic evolution shows progress. 

 There has been frequent retrogression and degeneracy, 

 there are many parasites, there are blind alleys of great 

 complexity which are puzzling to the hasty-minded ; 

 but the larger fact is an onward sweep. 



On the whole, common-sense regards it as certain 

 that there has been in Organic Evolution something 

 like what Lotze thought he discerned — " an onward ad- 

 vancing melody." There was a time when there were 

 no backboned animals except Fishes ; ages passed and 

 there were Fishes, Amphibians, and Reptiles ; ages 

 passed and there were also Birds and Mammals. Was 

 not this progress ? And yet, why do we feel sure that 

 Birds and Mammals mark an advance on Reptiles ? 

 It cannot be mere complexity. It is because they are 



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