THE DOCTRINE OF FINAL CAUSES. 515 



truths, and conjecture boldly with regard to the 

 unknown, did not add to the number of solid gene- 

 ralizations. In order to judge whether this remark 

 is distinctively applicable in the case now considered, 

 I should have to estimate Cuvier in comparison with 

 other physiologists of his time, which I do not pre- 

 sume to do. But I may observe, that he is allowed 

 by all to have established, on an indestructible basis, 

 many of the most important generalizations which 

 zoology now contains; and the principal defect which 

 his critics have pointed out, has been, that he did 

 not generalize still more widely and boldly. It 

 appears, therefore, that he cannot but be placed 

 among the great discoverers in the studies which he 

 pursued ; and this being the case, those who look 

 with pleasure on the tendency of the thoughts of 

 the greatest men to an Intelligence far higher than 

 their own, must be gratified to find that he was an 

 example of this tendency; and that the acknow- 

 ledgement of a creative purpose, as well as a crea- 

 tive power, not only entered into his belief, but 

 made an indispensable and prominent part of his 

 philosophy. 



Sect. 3. Establishment and Application of the 

 Principle of the Conditions of Existence of Ani- 

 mals. Cuvier. 



WE have now to describe more in detail the doc- 

 trine which Cuvier maintained in opposition to such 

 opinions as we have been speaking of; and which, 



LL2 



