CHAPTER XIV^ 



RECENT CRITICISMS AND HYPOTHESES. 



§ 174a. Since the first edition of this work was published, 

 and more especially since the death of Mr. Darwin, an active 

 discussion of the Evolution hypothesis has led to some sig- 

 nificant results. 



That organic evolution has been going on from the dawn 

 of life down to the present time, is now a belief almost 

 universally accepted by zoologists and botanists — " almost 

 universally," I say, because the surviving influence of Cuvier 

 prevents acceptance of it by some of them in France. Omit- 

 ting the ideas of these, all biological interpretations, specu- 

 lations, and investigations, tacitly assume that organisms 

 of every kind in every era and in every region have come 

 into existence by the process of descent with modifica- 

 tion. 



But while concerning the fact of evolution there is agree- 

 ment, concerning its causes there is disagreement. The 

 ideas of naturalists have, in this respect, undergone a dif- 

 ferentiation increasingly pronounced; which has ended in 

 the production of two diametrically opposed beliefs. The 

 cause which Mr. Darwin first made conspicuous has come to 

 be regarded by some as the sole cause; while, on the part of 

 others there has been a growing recognition of the cause 

 which he at first disregarded but afterwards admitted. 

 Prof. Weismann and his supporters contend that natural 

 selection suffices to explain everything. Contrariwise, among 



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