ii THE WORD EVOLUTION 77 



to define organic evolution which sys- 

 tematically confound it with the general 

 idea of development, whilst concealing 

 this confusion under a change of name. 

 The substitution of the word " evolution " 

 for the simpler word " development " has, 

 in this point of view, an unmistakable 

 significance. I do not know of any real 

 difference between the two words, except 

 that the word " development " is older 

 and more familiar, whilst " evolution " is 

 more modern, and has been more com- 

 pletely captured and appropriated by a 

 particular school. But Darwin's theory 

 is quite as distinctly and as definitely a 

 theory of organic evolution as the theory 

 of which Mr. Spencer boasts that it will 

 remain secure even if Darwinism should 

 be abandoned. Both these theories are 

 equally hypotheses as to the particular 

 processes through which development 

 has held its way in that department of 



