EVOLUTIONS OF ORGANIZATION. j 



and entirely to be explained by heredity. It is for 

 them to say if this exactness in the choice of a 

 name is an index of the accuracy of the reasoning 

 on which their views are founded. Had they called 

 themselves Demolitionists, on account of their dis- 

 belief in morphological design, the name might 

 possibly have been more expressive. 



Looking, however, at evolution in the natural 

 sense of the word, we may find it useful to give a 

 glance to some of the more notable opinions that 

 have been held on the subject. 



In such a survey, however brief, the school of 

 Schelling, as represented by Oken and Carus, must 

 not be overlooked. Professor Hackel of Jena claims 

 for Oken a foremost place in the pedigree of that 

 system which he has himself put forward ; and, 

 undoubtedly, though there is little other affinity 

 between Hackelism and the doctrine which Oken 

 published at the same University of Jena in his 

 " Naturphilosophie" in 1810, than that both draw 

 largely on the imagination, Oken's is a theory of 

 evolution embracing all Nature. It is built upon 

 an a priori conception. It constantly declares that 

 things must be after a certain fashion, simply be- 

 cause the conception demands it ; and it is scarcely 

 surprising that, proceeding by this method, not 

 distinguishing between speculation and demonstra- 



