UNIVERSAL EVOLUTION 



CHAPTER I 

 INORGANIC EVOLUTION 



SCHOOLS OF PHILOSOPHY. During the last 

 fifty years the theory of Evolution has pro- 

 duced a revolution in the thoughts of the 

 civilized world. Scientists have generally 

 adopted the theory, and at present, after years of 

 analytic study of all its features, are dividing them- 

 selves into two, or more schools. But in all the divi- 

 sions there seems to be no denial of the basic principle, 

 but merely, as usual upon all theories, a division of 

 men along the lines of materialism and idealism. The 

 aspect, which such a theory presents to the brain, de- 

 pends upon the organization of the brain. To those 

 brains which, before the renaissance of the idea of 

 evolution, were not wholly in accord with finality, the 

 theory now presents a material aspect, one that can 

 be called mechanistic. On the contrary, to that brain 

 which was thoroughly imbued with the old order of 

 ideality, or mysticism, it would take the form of a 

 creative principle, in some way guided by some power 

 either abstract, or personal. There are many forms of 

 these two schools of evolutionists. This is natural, be- 

 cause no two brains are alike in structure, and there- 

 fore are dissimilar in ideas. The mechanistic school is 

 that of Darwin, Huxley, Haeckel, Carl Vogt, etc. These 

 philosophers take for granted matter and motion, with- 



