50 A Century of Science 



This extension of the doctrine to psychical phe- 

 nomena is by many people misunderstood. The 

 " Principles of Psychology " is a marvel of straight- 

 forward and lucid statement ; but, from its immense 

 reach and from the abstruseness of the subject, it 

 is not easy reading. It requires a sustained atten- 

 tion such as few people can command, except on 

 subjects with which they are already familiar. 

 Hence few people read it in comparison with the 

 number who have somehow got it into their heads 

 that Mr. Spencer tries to explain mind as evolved 

 out of matter, and is therefore a materialist. How 

 many worthy critics have been heard to object to 

 the doctrine of evolution that you cannot deduce 

 mind from the primeval nebula, unless the germs 

 of mind were present already ! But that is just 

 what Mr. Spencer says himself. I have heard 

 him say it more than once, and his books contain 

 many passages of equivalent import. 1 He never 

 misses an opportunity for attacking the doctrine 

 that mind can be explained as evolved from mat- 

 ter. But, in spite of this, a great many people sup- 

 pose that the gradual evolution of mind must mean 

 its evolution out of matter, and are deaf to argu- 

 ments of which they do not perceive the bearing. 



1 See, for example, Principles of Psychology, second edition, 

 1870-72, vol. ii. pp. 145-162. 



