Dr. Buchner on Darwinism. 51 



function of descriptive epithets by serving as ab- 

 stract symbols for certain closely allied modes of 

 thinking. Considered in this purely philosoph- 

 ical way, an " atheist " is one to whom the time- 

 honoured notion of Deity has become a meaning- 

 less and empty notion ; and a " materialist " is 

 one who regards the story of the universe as com- 

 pletely and satisfactorily told when it is wholly 

 told in terms of matter and motion, without ref- 

 erence to any ultimate underlying Existence, of 

 which matter and motion are only the phenome- 

 nal manifestations. To Dr. Biichner's mind the 

 criticism of the various historic conceptions of 

 godhood has not only stripped these conceptions 

 of their anthropomorphic vestments, but has left 

 them destitute of any validity or solid content 

 whatever ; and in similar wise he is satisfied with 

 describing the operations of nature, alike in the 

 physical and psychical worlds, as merely the re- 

 distributions of matter and motion, without seek- 

 ing to answer the inquiry as to what matter and 

 motion are, or how they can be supposed to exist 

 as such at all, save in reference to the mind by 

 which they are cognized. 



Starting, then, upon this twofold basis, that 

 the notion of God is a figment, and that matter in 

 motion is the only real existence, Dr. Buchner 



