108 Herlert Spencer's Syntlietic Pliilosophy. 



as a double process— a movement toward unity as well as 



diversity. -, • mi. 



The following is from an article which appeared m ihe 

 Index (Boston), in 1880, in which I reviewed at consider- 

 able length Prof. Van Buren Denslow's essay on Herbert 

 Spencer, contained in his work entitled Modern Thinkers : 



Prof Denslow says : " Given space, matter, force, motion, and time 

 as the factors, would all progress be found to consist in evolution of 

 forra^ organisms, motions, and activities from the homogeneous or 

 simple into the heterogeneous ? It must be conceded that the array of 

 instances in which this is true dazzles and almost bewilders the im- 

 a'-ination by its variety and beauty. ... But if it shall appear that 

 each instance he (Spencer) adduces as an illustration of differentiation 

 of the simple into the complex also illustrates a unification of previ- 

 ously differentiated and diverse elements into one simple and homo- 

 geneous entitv or substance, is it quite clear that we have made an^ 

 advance in our knowledge of the principles of universal science il 



(pp. 218, 222). , ^ o . 



To strengthen his objection, the author selects one of Spencer s own 

 illustrations, f urnislied bv the differentiation of the bean seed " into 

 vine, leaf, blossom, and ultimately the new fruit," and calls attention 

 to what he declares is a fact— that this process equally illustrates the 

 unification of diverse elements into one homogeneous substance. 



That in the growth of the bean plant diverse elements are united in 

 one structure is verv evident ; but the correctness of characterizing as 

 a " homoo-eneous entitv" a complex production, in which several ele- 

 ments united in different proportions have produced all the variety 

 afforded by the root, vine, leaf, blossom, and fruit of a bean plant, is 

 by no means apparent. On the contrary, a bean plant is, in substance, 

 as well as in form and activitv, a very heterogeneous stracture. ihe 

 chemical differentiations produced in plants generally by rearrange- 

 ments of the chemical elements and by modification of tissues and 

 organs are well described bv Spencer. 



" In plants," he observes, " the albuminous and amylaceous matters 

 •which form the substance of the embryo give origin here to a pre- 

 ponderance of chlorophvU and there to a preponderance of cellulose. 

 Over the parts that are bocorning leaf-surfaces, certain of the materials 

 are metamorphosed into wax. In this place, starch passes into one of 

 its isomeric equivalents, sugar, and in that place into another of its 

 isomeric equivalents, gum. Bv secondary changes, some of the cellu- 

 lose is modified into wood, while some of it is modified into the allied 

 substance, which in large masses we distinguish as cork. And the 

 more numerous compounds thus gradually arising initiate further un- 

 likenesses bv mingling in unlike ratios." (First Principles.) 



In the inorganic world there are compound substances, like water, 

 produced bv the union of different elements, whicli to all appearances 

 are liomogeneous as to substance ; but we nnist not expect to find such 

 homogcneitv in highlv evolved organisms like the bean plant. And 

 how the integration o^ a number of diverse elements into one structure 

 diminishes the weight of Spencer's claims it is not easy to see. 

 Spencer's primary law of evolution is not, as Prof. Denslow seems to 



