ANALYTICAL CONTENTS XV 



PART II 



SIMPLE EVOLUTIONISM SPENCER, STEPHEN 

 CHAPTER VII 



DARWINIAN AND SPENCERIAN CONCEPTIONS OF EVOLUTION DARWIN 



Evolution came as a surprise Darwin deals with biology With 

 species only Taking "Struggle" from Malthus, he perceives in 

 it (natural) "Selection" A true cause, but minute; an im- 

 mensely slow process Compare the replies to Malthus Sexual 

 Selection accelerating Or Use-Inheritance But too much La- 

 marck, making variation not "casual," but purposeful, would 

 render unnecessary the " selective " action of " nature " Recent 

 doubts as to use-inheritance 



CHAPTER VIII 



DARWINIAN AND SPENCERIAN CONCEPTIONS OF EVOLUTION SPENCER 



A cosmic philosophy Resting on correlation of forces And on 

 hypothesis of organic evolution Emphasising natural (physical, 

 material) law Darwinism as a cosmic philosophy? Alexander 



Cf. Lotze Cf. Fiske Spencer values true use-inheritance as 

 accounting for a priori knowledge But natural selection is not 

 the source of his laissez faire doctrine; he looks forward to a 

 future " balance " His relation to embryology Evolution means 

 growing complexity In terms of matter Two other phases 

 Dissolution as death As catastrophe Equilibrium is theoreti- 

 cal and prophetic Spencer's sequence of the three phases 

 Criticisms: on the assumed beginning of the process On its 

 isolation On equilibrium, as involving a different point of view 



Reason is more than a new phase of complexity The whole 

 process breaks up into a series of separate evolutions in complexity 



CHAPTER IX 



MR. SPENCER'S THREE DOCTRINES OF HUMAN WELFARE 



Goodness is more evolved conduct, i.e. is " wisdom " An appeal to 

 (cosmic) history ! It is balance, of egoism and altruism An 



