INTRODUCTION ix 



vidual and in social life — for this vast con- 

 ception, now everywhere diffusing, often 

 expressed, rarely as yet applied, we need 

 some general term — and this is Evolution. 



Now, if this be gaining ground as a con- 

 ception of the world-process, it is time to be 

 inquiring farther into it: how is this to be 

 done? On one hand historically, thus cjuickly 

 appropriating the best thought as yet reached 

 by others; on the other hand directly, at first 

 hand and for oneself, in our own environment 

 of life and work and contact with nature. In 

 the former way we shall save time, and in the 

 latter gain definiteness; hence impartially 

 deciding on both, we may most speedily turn 

 for our outlines to our encyclopaedia, say 

 Chambers' articles "Evolution" and "Dar- 

 winian Theory" ; and for direct experience 

 take a holiday in the woods or by the shore. 

 At first the general ideas of our reading, the 

 details of our field-observing, may seem to 

 haye little in common, like the old philosopher 

 and the boy collector among our acquaint- 

 ances: but gradually they come together: 

 orderly change in general, changing order 

 amid particulars, are more and more seen to 

 be at one: thus we become evolutionists. We 

 hear of boy collectors becoming old philos- 

 ophers, yet remaining boy collectors still: 

 Darwin above all. Among his foremost 



