EXCURSIONS OF AN EVOLUTIONIST 



whole phenomenon requires a psychological, not 

 a physical, explanation." And again (vol. ii. p. 

 237), in speaking of Comte, a writer whose 

 views of history were sometimes profound, 

 though his philosophic position was diametri- 

 cally opposite to that of Mr. Spencer and the 

 evolutionists, I say, " He did not fall into 

 the error that individual genius and exertion 

 are of little or no account in modifying the 

 course of history. He did not forget that his- 

 tory is made by individual men, as much as a 

 coral reef is made by individual polyps. Each 

 contributes his infinitesimal share of effort ; nor 

 is the share of effort always so trifling. Consid- 

 ering the course of history merely as the re- 

 sultant of the play of moral forces, is there not 

 in a Julius Caesar or a Themistokles as large a 

 manifestation of the forces which go to make 

 history as in thousands of common men?" 



These views of mine, as being the opinions 

 of a " disciple " of Mr. Spencer, may perhaps 

 be set off against those which Dr. James quotes 

 from Mr. Allen. They seem to me to be quite 

 in harmony with the whole spirit of Mr. Spen- 

 cer's philosophy, 1 but it would be very difficult 

 to find, anywhere in Mr. Spencer's writings, 

 anything that would serve as a justification for 

 Mr. Allen's extraordinary statement about the 



I have since been assured by Mr. Spencer that I have 

 throughout this argument correctly represented his position. 

 172 



