CHAPTER I. 



A study of modern theories in science and philosophy reveals 

 very contrasted methods of thinking. By some of these methods 

 conclusions have been reacted which are recognized as valuable 

 acquisitions to the store of useful knowledge, while by other methods, 

 conclusions have been reached which have never gained wide 

 recognition and which have remained independent of the general 

 evolution of thought. 



We may hope to benefit by our experience with thinking and 

 by a comparative study of past efforts, may discover principles 

 which will guide us to fruitful results in the future. The purpose 

 of this thesis is to study a number of typical theories in science 

 and philosophy, to compare and classify them, to analyze the method 

 of procedure in each, to consider the simplicity, believability and 

 usefulness of each; and thus to draw conclusions as to the com- 

 parative value of the different methods used in deriving the theories. 



The theories considered will be: Darwin's "Origin of Spe- 

 cies," Hyslop's "Science and a Future Life," Locke's, 

 "Essay Concerning Human Understanding," "The Theory of Ions," 

 "The Theory of Inorganic Evolution," and ''The Theory of Matter 

 as Electrical.*' 



STATEMENT AND ANALYSIS OF DARWIN'S THEORY OF THE 

 ORIGIN OF SPECIES. 



Darwin in his theory of "The Origin of Species" reasons as fol- 

 lows: Under domestication, we find much individual variation in 

 both animals and plants. The causes of the variations are many, 

 complex, and little understood; but for the purposes of the theory 

 the variations may be taken to be perfectly indefinite or of chance 

 occurrence. Some are variations of structure and some of function. 



