RUDIMENTARY ORGANS. Ill 



parative Anatomy acquaints us ; firstly, because they afford 

 the most obvious proof of the Theory of Descent, and 

 secondly, because they most forcibly refute the custom- 

 ary teleological philosophy of the schools. The Doctrine 

 of Descent renders the explanation of these remarkable 

 phenomena very simple. They must be regarded as parts 

 which in the course of many generations have gradually 

 been disused and withdrawn from active service. Owing 

 to disuse and consequent loss of function, the organs 

 gradually waste away, and finally entirely disappear. The 

 existence of rudimentary organs admits of no other expla- 

 nation. Hence, they are of the greatest philosophical 

 importance; they clearly prove that the mechanical, or 

 monistic conception of the nature of organisms is alone 

 correct, and that the prevailing teleological, or dualistic 

 method of accounting for them, is entirely false. The very 

 ancient fable of the all- wise plan according to which " the 

 Creator's hand has ordained all things with wisdom and 

 understanding," the empty phrase about the purposive 

 " plan of structure " of organisms is in this way completely 

 disproved. Stronger arguments can hardly be furnished 

 against the customary teleology or Doctrine of Design, than 

 the fact that all more highly developed organisms possess 

 such rudimentary organs. 



The favourite phrase, " the moral ordering of the world," 

 is also shown in its true light by these dysteleological 

 facts Thus viewed, the " moral ordering of the world " is 

 evidently a beautiful poem which is proved to be false by 

 the actual facts. None but the idealist scholar, who closes 

 his eyes to the real truth, or the priest, who tries to 

 keep his spiritual flock in ecclesiastical leading-strings, can 



