ELEVENTH LECTURE. 



BONNET'S THEORY OF EVOLUTION. 



A SYSTEM OF NEGATIONS. 



C. O. WHITMAN. 



" Truth emerges sooner from error than from confusion." BACON. 



THOSE who imagine that they see in recent theories of devel- 

 opment a renascence of Bonnet's evolution, must be well aware, 

 one would suppose, of the fundamental distinctions between the 

 old and the new standpoints. Yet some of the advocates of 

 epigenesis maintain that these distinctions vanish when we 

 compare Bonnet's latest views with those now held by evolu- 

 tionists. This claim has often been repeated of late, and I 

 am aware that it is backed by eminent authorities, for whom we 

 all have the very highest respect, and with whom I should not 

 venture to differ, except for reasons that seem indubitable. 



If Bonnet's theory of evolution had in it a truth of such 

 vitality that it can rise, phcenix-like, from the ashes of its sup- 

 posed demolition ; or, to state it in a more conventional form, 

 if our theories of development are carrying us back to the 

 standpoint reached by the evolutionists of last century, it is a 

 matter of more than historical interest. The issues that now 

 lead embryological research are involved. Our ideas of devel- 

 opment, the landmarks already passed, the cardinal points in 

 our present horizon, our tendencies are all brought under the 

 rubrics of comparison. Any mistake here must obscure the 

 general situation in just those points where it most needs to be 

 clearly denned. 



Our chief concern is with standpoints. Compared with them, 

 theories are of little consequence. The standpoint sets the 

 limits to our horizon, and so determines the reach and range of 



