148 FROM THE GREEKS TO DARWIN 



the latter he assumed the presence of final causes 

 acting for definite ends. As Haeckel says:^ 



After having quite correctly maintained the ori- 

 gin of organic forms out of raw matter by mechani- 

 cal laws (in the manner of crystallization), as well 

 as a gradual development of the different species 

 by descent from one common original parent, Kant 

 adds, "But he (the archaeologist of Nature, that is 

 the palaeontologist), must for this end ascribe to the 

 common mother an organization ordained purposely 

 with a view to the needs of all her offspring, other- 

 wise the possibility of suitability of form in the 

 products of the animal and vegetable kingdoms can- 

 not be conceived at all." 



We cannot here follow out all the reasons for 

 Kant's change of view from his earlier to his 

 later years ; we simply see that he was appalled 

 by the impossibility of human investigation ever 

 reaching an explanation of the laws which have 

 governed the derivation of all organic beings, 

 from polyps to men; he declared that this doc- 

 trine (of Evolution) was compatible with the 

 mechanical conception of Nature, although no 

 natural science can attain it; it would therefore 

 remain a daring flight of reason. In a striking 

 passage on the limits of our knowledge, he says :^ 



'^The History of Creation^ 1892, vol. I, p. 108. 



2See Haeckel: The History of Creation, vol. I, 1892, p. 109. 



