DOMAIN OF EVOLUTIONAKY HYPOTHESIS 81 



tain whether the facts concerned really come within 

 that category, from which alone the basis of an evolu- 

 tionary hypothesis can be formed. An example in 

 another direction will explain what we mean. Let it 

 for instance be conceded that the physicists justifiably 

 claim the existence of ether and that of definite 

 vibrations of its smallest molecules because thereby 

 they obtain a satisfactory conception of the phenomena 

 of light, electricity, etc. ; therefore it is scientifically 

 perfectly justifiable to employ the hypothesis of the 

 ether experimentally also to account for other natural 

 processes, provided of course that the new batch of 

 facts requiring explanation can be comparable with 

 the phenomena of light and electricity. 



But no one could seriously attempt to use the ether 

 hypothesis in order, say, to explain consciousness, 

 memory, and the will, since consciousness by its entire 

 nature has absolutely nothing to do with a material 

 state of vibration. The basis of such an attempt could 

 be formulated in the following way : f Since, by the 

 recognition of a material ether and of definite vibra- 

 tions of its molecules, we have received an acceptable 

 idea of light, the rapidity of its transmission, refrac- 

 tion, etc., therefore it is a scientific postulate that there 

 be recognized also consciousness, and action in short 

 the said capacities as ethereal vibrations, even though 

 all possibility is lacking of saying how it is done/ 



Unfortunately the formulating of many evolutional 

 ' postulates ' is similarly framed ! 



It is a quite inadmissible procedure to put forward 



