LECTURE XLVI. 



SPENCER'S FORMULA OF EVOLUTION. 



Prof. William H. Hudson. 



Scientific treatment and philosophic treatment of 

 Evolution to be kept distinct. The Synthetic Phil- 

 osophy as the philosophy of Evolution. Meaning of 

 this statement. 



Evolution, what is it ? Vague and shifting signifi- 

 cance of the word in current use. Metaphysical im- 

 plications. Evolution and Progress. What do we 

 mean by " high " and " low " in organization ? 



Starting point of Spencer's study of Evolution on 

 its philosophical side. Line of approach, and its con- 

 sequences. "Social Statics" (1850), and the doctrine 

 of individuation. 



German speculation on the development of the in- 

 dividual organism. Von Baer's law : development of 

 organism a change from homogeneity to heterogeneity 

 of structure and function (" Entwickelungsgeschichte," 

 1829). Spencer expands this into the law of all prog- 

 ress (" Progress, Its Law and Cause," 1857; "First 

 Principles," first ed., 1862). 



Does this sum up the whole matter ? No. There 

 are changes from relative homogeneity to relative 

 heterogeneity which are obviously not changes in the 

 line of Evolution. All Evolution implies increase of 

 complexity, but all increase of complexity is not Evo- 



