PREFACE vii 



Evolution, published in 1906. But the contents of 

 Catholic papers and of scientific works written by 

 Catholic authors do not, as a rule, penetrate to 

 those who have been most influenced by Haeckel's 

 lectures in Berlin, or if they reach them at all, it is 

 in a distorted form. Therefore I deemed it very 

 important to give a course of lectures in Berlin itself 

 on the same subject. 



The first suggestion that I should give such a 

 course was made to me on July 21st, 1906, by the 

 managers of the Sachs concerts, who had organised 

 Haeckel's lectures in the previous year. I did not, 

 however, fall in with the proposal, being anxious to 

 avoid all appearance of provoking a discussion, and 

 the invitation, which I eventually accepted, pro- 

 ceeded from another quarter, and was framed in 

 such a way as to guarantee the scientific character 

 of the lectures. 



On January 25th, 1907, the syllabus of my lectures 

 appeared. They were delivered in the upper Hall of 

 the ' Philharmonie.' In this syllabus the following 

 points were mentioned as topics for discussion : 



First Evening (February 13th). The Doc- 

 trine of Evolution considered as a Scientific 

 Hypothesis and Theory (with lantern 

 slides). 



Second Evening (February 14th). Theistic and 

 Atheistic Doctrines of Evolution Evolution 

 and Darwinism. 



