NATURE 



385 



THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1893. 



MAN AND E VOL UTION 

 Evolution and Man's Place in Nature. By Henry Calder- 

 wood, LL.D., F.R.S.E., Professor of Moral Philosophy, 

 University of Edinburgh. (London : Macmillan and 

 Co., 1893.) 



THIS work appears to have been written for the pur- 

 pose of setting forth the author's views as to the 

 twofold nature and origin of man. He admits, fully and 

 unreservedly, that both the bodily organism and the lower 

 mental nature of man have alike been developed by a 

 process of evolution from a lower animal form ; but he 

 urges with much force, and often with boch eloquence and 

 dialectic skill, that the rational and moral nature of man 

 has not been thus developed. 



The book, however, has many defects ; and one cannot 

 but feel that the writer has undertaken a task somewhat 

 beyond his powers. Most prominent is its extreme diffuse- 

 ness and vagueness, the want of systematic treatment, the 

 frequent reiteration of the same ideas under different forms 

 of words, and the misconceptions arising from want of 

 familiarity with many of the subjects discussed. We are 

 also annoyed by the frequent reference to problems to 

 be discussed or solved, which are yet only hinted at or 

 talked about later on. Thus, in the first chapter, we are 

 told that a " fuller study of human life " is now required, 

 and that the crowning effort of science in the study of 

 Nature must be "the solution of the problem of man's 

 appearance " on earth. Yet no attempt is made in the 

 whole volume, either to solve this problem or even to show 

 what progress has been made towards solving it. At 

 p. 154 we are told that — " We are now ready for con- 

 sideration of Darwin's argument " — as to the relation of 

 the mental nature of man and the lower animals. And on 

 the next page — " The direction to be followed now becomes 

 more obvious" — after which we have pages of general 

 remarks on the intelligence of the dog and the ant. 

 Then, at p. 162— "The method to be followed is clear: 

 we must compare the higher animals with man" — and 

 — " careful comparison of the two orders of life is the only 

 course open for scientific inquiry," and again, — " The 

 difficulties belonging to such a mode of inquiry are many ; 

 but no easier method is available." Then, at p. 167, we 

 find that Darwin " has at least suggested the essential 

 conditions of our inquiry." After this we have another 

 series of vague general remarks, till at p. 171 we find an- 

 other statement of the mode of inquiry, and we are told 

 that " we must have in full view all that ^is common to 

 man, as animal, with the higher mammals, making 

 account of close approximation in organic structure." 

 Yet we nowhere find any attempt to apply these prin- 

 ciples or methods so laboriously set forth, but are put off 

 with such statements as—" In proof of exercise of intelli- 

 gence, examples are many and familiar, making it 

 unnecessary to enter upon detailed references." Then 

 we are interrupted by fifteen pages of remarks on instinct 

 ' among insects, although it has been repeatedly stated that 

 the relation of man to the higher animals was the prob- 

 lem to be discussed ; and at p. 193, we are told that— 

 NO. 12 17, VOL, 47] 



" Now at length, after careful survey of lower levels, we 

 advance towards the height, on which the grand problems 

 of intelligence become visible. Study of comparative 

 intelligence now becomes possible." Then follow again 

 page after page of what can only be described as " general 

 remarks "on horses, dogs, monkeys, and other animals. We 

 are told, for example — " When the higher animals are com- 

 pared with the lower, it is clear that a power of intelli- 

 gence must be attributed to the higher, which cannot be 

 credited to the lower. Phenomena of domestication come 

 to our aid here, confirming this generalisation." And a 

 little further on, as a proof that dogs can interpret signs 

 and act upon them, we have the following concrete 

 illustration, among the very few in the book, and 

 therefore we may presume it is considered a valuable 

 one. "'Go home' will send one dog back, but the 

 Gaelic equivalent alone will be effective in the case 

 of a dog reared in the Highlands of Scotland, where 

 the Celtic tongue is in common use." And then, as if 

 the intelligent reader might doubt this astounding fact, 

 the author adds, " Observation affords ample testimony 

 for this." 



Although the author has evidently read very widely on 

 the subject of evolution, his want of grasp of the subject 

 is continually shown. Thus, when discussing the struggle 

 for existence, he seems to think that this is usually con- 

 sidered to be limited to a struggle for food. He says :— " A 

 general view of the relations of life and environment will 

 guard against interpretation of facts exclusively by 

 reference to struggle for existence consequent on the re- 

 lations of numbers to food-supply." ..." Life is too rich 

 in variety to find adequate explanation of its history in 

 the mere balancing of our numbers with food-supplies." 

 ..." In no life is progress to be explained exclusively by 

 reference to amount of food-supply" . . . "environment 

 must be read much more largely than could be sug- 

 gested by mere dependence on materials for nutriment " 

 — the above passages all occurring in a single paragraph. 



We have to thank the author, however, for the very 

 clear manner in which he admits, and even enforces the 

 application of evolution to man. He states this conclu- 

 sion in several places. Thus, at page 261, we find the 

 following : ~ 



" The novelty of the situation lies in this, that man's 

 alliance with all animal life has been established with a 

 clearness and fulness of representation never before pos- 

 sible in the history of the world. The long-hidden secrets 

 of nature are disclosed, and, behold ! man has his heri- 

 tage among the beasts of the field. The discovery is 

 indeed a large one ; the demonstration has been worked 

 out in minute detail till no place is left for doubt." 



By far the best portion of the work is that which is its 

 special feature — the discussion of the rational as con- 

 trasted with the mere perceptive and intelligent nature 

 of man and of the lower animals. A few quotations will 

 explain the author's views, and show him at his best. 



" The conditions of action are changed when rational 

 self-direction comes into view. This change is so great 

 as to amount to a complete contrast with all that has 

 appeared in lower forms of life. Passion and appetite 

 have not disappeared : they are present as before ; but 

 instead of determining conduct, a new exercise of power 

 has appeared to control them. Life has here a duality 

 within it, which has not been seen at any lower stage. 



