THEORY OF LIFE DEDUCED 



FROM 



THE EVOLUTION PHILOSOPHY. 



BENEATH the abstractions and generalizations of every 

 system of philosophy, worthy of the name, there lies con- 

 cealed what may be termed a theory or interpretation of life, 

 using the word "life" in its deepest and widest possible 

 signification. True of philosophical systems in general, 

 this is preeminently so of the Evolution Philosophy. Nay, 

 more : assuming the real worth of any system of philosophy 

 to be properly determinable by the rationality, the logical 

 consistency, and the practical value of its theory of life, 

 we can hardly question the superiority of the Evolution 

 Philosophy over the metaphysical systems which it is 

 destined to supplant. It is no part of our present purpose 

 to advance arguments in support of these propositions 

 except in so far as the exposition presently to be laid 

 before the reader may be considered in this light. 



No one at all familiar with the subject will need to be 

 told that the central doctrines of the Evolution Philosophy, 

 as herein set forth, are, to all intents and purposes, identical 

 with the cardinal teachings of Herbert Spencer's Synthetic 

 Philosophy. This close correspondence is easily accounted 



