38 THE EVOLUTIONARY THEORY 



least have, I suppose, become familiar with the evo- 

 lutionary theory. But it will surely involve no waste of 

 time on your part to reconsider the subject. At all 

 events such reconsideration seems to be indispensable 

 to a fulfilment of the purpose of these lectures. 



Strictly and properly speaking, the evolutionary 

 theory is purely biological, and is concerned with the 

 natural history of organic hfe. It does not profess 

 to deal with the origin or ultimate cause of hfe, but 

 presupposes the existence on this planet of some form 

 or forms of hving organisms. It can be stated very 

 simply as the doctrine that all existing forms of life are 

 derived by unbroken descent from a few primitive 



to be recommended: R. H. Lock, Recent Progress in the Study of 

 Variation, Heredity, and Evolution; A. R. Wallace, Darwinism; 

 V. L. Kellogg, Darwinism To-day; Henry Calderwood, Evolution 

 and Man's Place in Nature; Herbert Spencer, First Principles; 

 Prins. of Biology; G. J. Romanes, Darwin and After Darwin; Bald- 

 win, Die. of Philos., s. vv. "Evolution"; "Lamarckism"; "Natural 

 Selection"; "Organic Selection." Chas. Darwin's Origin of Species 

 (6th ed.) and Descent of Man arc of course of primary importance. 

 The former is not easy to read. A. Weismann's Evolution Theory 

 is of almost equal importance. A very clear and popular exposition 

 of the Darwinian theory is given by Thos. Huxley, in Darwiniana, 

 pp. 303-475. The bearings of the evolutionary theory are exhibited 

 by V. F. Storr, Development and Divine Purpose; Jas. Ward, N'at- 

 uralism and Agnosticism, Vol. I. Lees, vii-x; A. Moore, Science and 

 the Faith; Essays Scientific and Philosophical; J. Fiske, Through 

 Nature to God; and F. B. Jevons, Evolution. The author's foot- 

 notes will sufficiently indicate the other treatises which he has found 

 useful for his purpose. 



