EXCURSIONS OF AN EVOLUTIONIST 



the weft through all the warp of modern thought, 

 and out from their abundant suggestiveness have 

 come the opinions of many who do not profess 

 any especial " allegiance " to Mr. Spencer, 

 of many, even, who are inclined to scoff at the 

 teacher, while all unconscious of the debt they 

 owe him. But while I cannot undertake to 

 make confident assertions as to the views of a 

 Spencerian school, I think I may venture to 

 speak with some confidence as to the attitude 

 of Mr. Spencer himself toward the present ques- 

 tion. 



So far is Dr. James from realizing how closely 

 he has been following in Mr. Spencer's own line 

 of thought that he begins his paper by seeking 

 to use a certain alleged opinion of Mr. Spencer 

 as a " foil " whereby to set off and illustrate the 

 truth of his own statements. The problem be- 

 fore us is, " What are the causes that make 

 communities change from generation to gener- 

 ation, that make the England of Queen 

 Anne so different from the England of Eliza- 

 beth, the Harvard College of to-day so different 

 from that of thirty years ago ? " Dr. James 

 replies, " The difference is due to the accumu- 

 lated influences of individuals, of their exam- 

 ples, their initiatives, their decisions." Very 

 good. When taken with the proper qualifica- 

 tion which I shall presently specify there 

 is nothing in this reply to which Mr. Spencer 

 164 



