108 THE PROBLEM OF EVOLUTION 



engineers set to work, and each constructs a 

 pump. The company proceeds to test the 

 pumps, and selects the one that best fulfils 

 the required conditions. Although only one 

 engineer receives the prize for his pump, all 

 have kept the appointed end in view throughout 

 their work. 



Professor Plate proceeded to say that Father 

 Wasmann spoke next of the doctrine of evolution, 

 and referred to the monistic view of the cosmic 

 position of man. ' In this case, 5 he remarked, 

 ' I do not consider Father Wasmann to have been 

 inconsistent, but he has not sufficiently emphasised 

 the contrasts, which are sharper than he states. 

 They amount, in fact, to this : the monist asserts 

 nothing about the nature of God, but limits 

 himself to the laws of nature. These laws are, 

 indeed, the only things that we can establish with 

 certainty; with regard to what underlies them 

 there are many different opinions, and we monists 

 are not all agreed on the subject. Personally, I 

 always maintain that 9 if there are laws of nature, it is 

 only logical to admit that there is a lawgiver. But 

 of this lawgiver we can give no account, and any 

 attempt to give one would lead us into unfounded 

 speculations. It is there that faith begins, and 

 many of us have given up all faith. For my part, 

 I do not feel compelled to do so, but we must allow 

 each man to act as he thinks right.' 



