On the Mechanical Conception of Nature. 645 



I. 



ARE THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SELECTION 

 THEORY MECHANICAL? 



EDWARD VON HARTMANN may justly claim that 

 his views should be considered and tested by 

 naturalists. 1 He would be correctly classed with 



1 [Eng. ed. I have been reproached by competent authorities 

 for having clothed my ideas upon the theory of selection in the 

 form of a reply to Von Hartmann. I willingly admit that this 

 author cannot be considered as the leader of existing philo- 

 sophical views upon the theory of descent in Germany ; 

 Frederick Albert Lange has certainly a much greater claim to 

 this position. Lange does not however combat this theory ; 

 he accepts and develops it most beautifully and lucidly on a 

 sound philosophical basis in such a manner as has never been 

 done before from this point of view ( <% Geschichte des Ma- 

 terialismus," 3rd. ed., 1877, vol. ii. pp. 253277). On most 

 points I can but agree with Lange. Von Hartmann, however, 

 whose objections appeared to me to be supported by a wide 

 scientific knowledge, afforded me a suitable opportunity of 

 developing my own ideas upon some essential points in the 

 theory of selection. In this sense only have I attempted to 

 interfere with this author, the refutation of his views, as such, 

 having been with me a secondary consideration.] [The chief 

 exponent of the doctrine of organic evolution in this country 

 is Mr. Herbert Spencer, in whose " Principles of Biology," 

 vol. i. chap, xii., will be found a masterly treatment of the 

 theory of descent from a " mechanical " point of view. R. M.] 



