332 EVOLUTION OF TO-DA Y, 



ment of the highest quality which animals possess. 

 With this understanding, that man has developed 

 the last and highest realm of his nature, evolution is 

 seen practically to end with him. He may go on 

 becoming more and more specialized. Other ani- 

 mals may also continue to produce new species. 

 But unless there is some other and higher ungeneral- 

 ized feature to be developed in the future, man 

 stands as the highest order of beings which this 

 world will produce. Of such unspecialized quality 

 no one has conceived. Look at it as we will, the 

 advent of man must be regarded as the development 

 of a new realm in nature. Man is thus radically 

 separated from other animals, even though he be 

 derived by descent from them. It is practically im- 

 material what we may believe man's origin to have 

 been, his distinction from other animals is radical, 

 and we may accept the views of Darwin and Spencer 

 without altering this conclusion. 



General Summary of this and the Preceding Chapters. 



Let us now briefly consider what may be regarded 

 as the present result of the discussions of the last 

 twenty-five years upon the question of evolution. 

 It is plain that the different theories and suggestions 

 have met with very different success in receiving 

 support. Some have been so well authenticated as 

 to be almost beyond question ; some have been left 

 very uncertain ; and others have been disproved. 



In the first place, the candid consideration of the 

 subject of evolution at least as we use the term, 

 meaning organic evolution has shown that the the- 



