March 12, 1896] 



NATURE 



435 



This standpoint is heroic, and involves considerable 

 sacrifice of self; the argument has so obviously two 

 sides to it. Is it a wise one to reiterate before us, juniors 

 and pupils as we are ; and shall we not remember how 

 in many cases it was from Prof. Bonney that we received 

 our first literary encouragement .' Who amongst us, how- 

 ever, shall pose as his critic in this matter? Rather let 

 us ask it of him as a question. 



Grenviixe a. J. Coi,E. 



PHILOSOPHY AND EVOLUTION. 



Evolution and Man's Place in Nature. By Henry 

 Calderwood, LL.D., F.R.S.E. Second edition. Pp. 

 XX +316. (London : Macmillan and Co., 1896.) 



IT is not often that the author of a work on science or 

 philosophy so far accepts the verdict of his critics as 

 to entirely re-model and re-write his book. Much to his 

 credit Prof. Calderwood has done this, for the second 

 edition now just issued is not only nearly twice the bulk 

 of the first, but is also full of new matter, and is greatly 

 improved in its scope and arrangement. The first edition 

 (reviewed in NATURE, vol. xlvii. p. 385) contained eight 

 chapters, while the present work has seventeen, the titles 

 and " contents " of which are so different that the two 

 books seem to have little in common. The chapters on 

 " The Nerve System as an Instrument of Knowledge," 

 " Right and Wrong," " Civil Law," " Modern Thought," 

 " The Ape and Man," and " Cosmic Problems," seem to 

 be wholly new and to embody the results of the most 

 recent researches. In other respects the present work is 

 far superior to the former edition, as it not only gives a 

 much- larger body of facts, and contains less repetition, 

 but is a more complete presentation of the whole subject, 

 treated from the point of view of philosophy rather than 

 from that of science. 



The author's style, which leads him always to go round 

 about a subject rather than to the heart of the problem 

 itself, to take much for granted which requires systematic 

 proof, and to revel in diffuseness of phraseology and of 

 argument, is still a prominent feature, and is wearisome 

 to the reader who wants to get at the author's conclusions 

 and to have a clear presentation of the facts and argu- 

 ments on which they are founded. But to those who 

 enjoy diffuse philosophical discussion, and especially to 

 those who want a reply to the supposed materialistic 

 tendencies of the works of Darwin and Herbert Spencer, 

 there is here much food for thought. A few passages 

 will serve to illustrate the author's merits as well as his 

 limitations. In the chapter on "Right and Wrong," he 

 thus explains his view of the essential difference between 

 the human and the animal nature. 



" The grand distinction of human life is self-control in 

 the field of action. Thought not only reaches a generalised 

 knowledge of existence, and of its laws ; it leads to 

 rationalised action, within the many and varied fields of 

 human endeavour. The evidence of this appears, as 

 already described, in the control exercised over all the 

 animal impulses, so that these do not spontaneously and 

 of themselves determine activity. Sensibility operates in 

 human life, just as in the life of the animal ; but it does 

 not at once direct our action, as the course of the dog is 

 NO. 1376, VOL. 53] 



ruled by sense of smell. Sensibility can influence us in 

 the same way, and a similar result is often seen in our 

 life ; but that which is peculiar to man is a concentra- 

 tion which overcomes allurements of sense. Animal 

 appetite is stirred in us, as in animals, physiological 

 law being coextensive with the animal kingdom ; 

 our speciality appears in the regulation of animal im- 

 pulse, so that it is repressed, in accordance with the laws 

 of attention, which weaken or strengthen animal pro- 

 pensity ; or limited by reference to propriety; or regulated 

 in its indulgence in recognition of a law higher than pre- 

 sent desire. These facts are so familiar, that I have only 

 to refer to them to claim their weight of evidence for a 

 power which does not appear in animal life. The value 

 of this evidence will be still more appreciated, if it be 

 observed that the control of animal impulse no more be- 

 longs to the animal nature of man, than it belongs to the 

 animals around him. In respect of animal impulse, his 

 experience is as much determined by physiological law, 

 as animals are visibly moved by it. Man being an 

 animal, no one can suggest that the movements of 

 animal impulse are otherwise determined or have their 

 source elsewhere than in the body. The difference 

 between man and animals appears in this, that by thought 

 and imagination passion may be intensified ; and by use 

 of these powers it can be restrained. Even within the 

 sphere of passion, the elevation of human life is seen in 

 the control the rational power wields over the animal 

 nature." 



The purport of this wordy and laboured passage is clear 

 enough, but its cogency as an argument is certainly not 

 proportioned to its length. The same idea is pursued 

 through two other paragraphs of equal length, but these 

 do not bring any further sense of completeness to the 

 presentation of the subject. 



One more extract may be given from the final chapter 

 on " Cosmic Problems." 



" With clearest testimony, scientific observation has 

 led us to innumerable points, whence we have seen intel- 

 ligent purpose at work providing for life yet unborn. We 

 have been arrested first, and afterwards roused to 

 quickened consciousness, realising that we have seen the 

 lesson all the days of our life, in hundreds of forms, but 

 had not read its full meaning, though it had been written 

 large ; for is not the whole vegetable kingdom con- 

 fessedly a preparation for a coming life ? In vain does 

 Agnosticism lift its voice in presence of witness such as 

 this. Testimony for an Intelligent cause springs even 

 from the dust, and, as it comes thence, thought moves 

 freely along all fields of science, gathering evidence as 

 readily from the vegetable kingdom as from the animal ; 

 finding, with ever-increasing surprise, a growing testi- 

 mony as science conducts us lower in the knowledge of 

 nature. Not to the heights but to the depths we go, in 

 order to witness the most startling condemnation of 

 Agnosticism. It is not merely the myriad dwellers in the 

 insect world which bear witness ; but the inanimate 

 creation itself tells us of treasure stored in its keeping, to 

 satisfy animal wants. Plants can manufacture fresh pro- 

 toplasm out of mineral compounds, whereas animals are 

 obliged to procure it ready made, and hence in the long 

 run depend upon plants. Thus, even from the soil, under 

 our feet, comes the evidence calling us to own an Intel- 

 ligent First Cause." 



A number of illustrations, of the lower forms of life, of 

 the sense organs of various classes of animals, and of 

 the brains of many of the mammalia and of man, will 

 render the work more attractive to those who have not 

 acquired a general knowledge of the subject from other 

 sources. A. R. W. 



