A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE POSI- 

 TION OF MR. DARWIN'S WORK, "ON 

 THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES," IN RELATION 

 TO THE COMPLETE THEORY OF THE 

 CAUSES OF THE PHENOMENA OF 

 ORGANIC NATURE 



IN the preceding five lectures I have endeavoured to 

 give you an account of those facts, and of those reasonings 

 from facts, which form the data upon which all theories 

 regarding the causes of the phenomena of organic nature 

 must be based. And, although I have had frequent 

 occasion to quote Mr. Darwin as all persons hereafter, in 

 speaking upon these subjects, will have occasion to quote 

 his famous book on the " Origin of Species/' you must 

 yet remember that, wherever I have quoted him, it has 

 not been upon theoretical points, or for statements in 

 any way connected with his particular speculations, but 

 on matters of fact, brought forward by himself, or collected 

 by himself, and which appear incidentally in his book. If 

 a man will make a book, professing to discuss a single 

 question, an encyclopaedia, I cannot help it. 



Now, having had an opportunity of considering in this 

 sort of way the different statements bearing upon all 

 theories whatsoever, I have to lay before you, as fairly 

 as I can, what is Mr. Darwin's view of the matter and what 

 position his theories hold, when judged by the principles 

 which I have previously laid down, as deciding our judg- 

 ments upon all theories and hypotheses. 



I have already stated to you that the inquiry respecting 

 the causes of the phenomena of organic nature resolves 

 i I self into 1\\o prnliicms- the first being the question. of 

 tin- <>ri"iii.iii.n of living or organic beings ; ad the second 

 U-iiiM tin- totally distinct problem of the modification and 

 perpetuation of organic beings when they have already 

 come into existence. The first question Mr. Darwin does 



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