THE PROBLEM OF THE WILL 73 



"On the Will," and the essays of the philosophers 

 and theologians of a century ago, are more or 

 less to one side of the question of to-day. The 

 probable correctness of the theory of evolution 

 presents problems which must be solved before 

 the earlier speculations can be considered. The 

 will must now be viewed in connection with fac- 

 tors introduced by physical science. Anything 

 that ignores these has no claim on the thought 

 of a nineteenth-century student. The ability to 

 choose is a fact the explanation of which is not 

 yet in sight. With the present data it is doubtful 

 if anything more can be done than to collect and 

 collate evidence bearing on the subject, and thus 

 take some steps toward a rational explanation. 



I. It is evident that choices, whether they be 

 the whole man willing or the action of a separate 

 faculty, while they may not be determined by 

 heredity, nor formed by environment, must be 

 more or less influenced by them. Perhaps there 

 is no stronger or truer illustration of this state- 

 ment than is found in " Elsie Venner," which is 

 probably only a leaf from a physician's expe- 

 rience. That was a case of the influence of 

 prenatal environment. The beautiful, untamable 

 girl's character was shaped, and her career 

 determined, by an experience of her mother's 



