96 ARISTO CRA C Y AND E VOL UT2ON 



Book i let us begin by fixing our attention on that 



order of facts which formed the special study of 



its great prac- Darwin, and in connection with which the theory 



istic, C SSPM er of evolution became first known to the world ; 



Da^[n,S'that an ^ ^ et us as ^ w ^ at was t ^ ie greatest and the 

 it is opposed to mos t; notorious effect produced by Darwinism on 



the doctrine of 



design, or human thought generally. Its greatest and most 



divine inten- . . . 



tion ; notorious effect was to disprove, or rather render 



superfluous, the old theory which explained the 

 varieties of organic life by referring them to the 

 design of some quasi-human intelligence. Accord- 

 ing to the old theory, every species of living thing, 

 from the lowest to the highest, was produced by 

 the power and purpose of one supreme Mind, who 

 adapted the frame and faculties of each to a pre- 

 arranged set of circumstances and the fulfilment of 

 certain needs. According to the theory of evolution, 

 associated with the name of Darwin, these results 

 were accomplished by purpose and intelligent power 

 likewise, only not by the power and purpose of one 

 supreme external Mind, but by the power and 



andyet.accord- purpose of the living things themselves. Each 

 li ym g thing chose its mates, reproduced its kind, 

 hunted for food, fought with rivals, and either con- 

 quered or was conquered by them, in obedience to 



and propagate. J m x 



the promptings of its own instinctive purposes. 

 These were the motive power of the whole evolu- 

 tionary process. The variety and development of 

 organic life, as we know it, did not result indeed 

 from one great intention, but it did result from an 

 infinity of little intentions. 



