82 



FACTS AND FANCIES. 



. 



duced capable of reproducing simple one-celled 

 organisms, it should not go on doing so. 



Further, even if some chance deviations should 

 occur, we fail to perceive why these should go on 

 in a definite manner producing not only the most 

 complex machines, but many kinds of such ma- 

 chines^on different plans, but each perfect in its 

 way. Haeckel is never weary of telling us that 

 to monists organisms are mere machines. Even 

 his own mental work is merely the grinding of 

 a cerebral machine. But he seems not to per- 

 ceive that to such a philosophy the homely ar- 

 gument which Paley derived from the structure 

 of a watch would be fatal : " The question is 

 whether machines (which monists consider all 

 animals to be, including themselves) infinitely 

 more complicated than watches could come into 

 existence without design somewhere"* — that is, 

 by mere chance. Common sense is not likely 

 to admit that this is possible. 



The difficulties above referred to relate to the 

 introduction of life and of new species on the 

 monistic view. Others might be referred to in 

 connection with the production of new organs. 

 An illustration is afforded, aniong others, by the 

 discussion of the introduction of the five fingers 



* Beckett, Origin of the Laws of Nature. 



mti 



