254 THE PROBLEM OF EVOLUTION 



Wasmann freely and frankly stated that he ascribes 

 its full importance to metaphysics, a confession 

 which must at all costs be impressed upon the con- 

 science of modern humanity.' ' This brings us to 

 the decisive issue, to the most important point of 

 difference between " believers " and pure scientists. 

 Father Wasmann claims the right to survey, from the 

 standpoint of a philosopher and metaphysician, the 

 isolated facts which have been brought to light by 

 experimental, empirical, and exact research, and he 

 regards it as not only permissible, but as actually 

 prescribed, in order to attain to a more profound 

 understanding of the problems of life, to have 

 recourse to all possible means, and to tolerate the 

 imposition of no limits. Professor Plate, on the 

 other hand, condemns all this in a jealous way as an 

 unwarrantable encroachment, and finds fault with it 

 as an untrustworthy blend of inadequate materials, 

 as the importation of ideas that serve only to obscure, 

 disturb, and defile the subject, as a spurious kind of 

 science based upon prejudices.' 



Plate's assertion that in drawing philosophical 

 conclusions from scientific facts, I was influenced 

 by ecclesiastical prejudices, is absolutely denied by 

 Dr. Senff, who says : ' Has Professor Plate clearly 

 established the charge which he brings against Father 

 Wasmann of having in any case started from ecclesi- 

 astical prejudices? Wasmann' s opponents repre- 

 sented him as having taken this course, and we know 

 that many hounds are death to the hare. I am vexed 



