45 8 THE EVOLUTION OF MAN. 



crystal and water. Hence the evolution of man has taken 

 place according to the same " eternal, immutable laws," 

 as has the evolution of any other natural body. 



It is true that the prejudices that stand in the way of 

 the general recognition of this " Natural Anthropogeny " 

 are even yet intensely powerful; otherwise the ancient 

 strife between the various philosophical systems would 

 already have been decided in favour of "Monism." But 

 it can be foreseen with certainty that a more general 

 acquaintance with genetic facts, will gradually destroy 

 those prejudices and bring about the victory of the 

 natural idea of "Man's Place in Nature." The fear is 

 often expressed in opposition to this view that it will cause 

 a retrogression in the intellectual and moral development 

 of man ; but, on the contrary, I cannot withhold my convic- 

 tion, that the very reverse will be true, that by it the pro- 

 gressive development of the human spirit will be advanced 

 in an unusual degree. At all events, I hope and trust that 

 I have, in these chapters, afforded convincing proof that 

 the only way to attain a true scientific knowledge of the 

 human organism, is by employing the method which we 

 must acknowledge to be alone correct and successful in the 

 study of organic nature, by following the course of the 

 History of Evolution. 20 ^ 



