THE USES AND ORIGIN 



LEAVES IN PLAN 381 



claims it for its own. In other words, they are not properly inductive theories, 

 awaiting and subject to verification, but arrogant dogin. *, demanding unoondi- 

 tional assent. The bearing of this debate on the proper questions of science 

 relates only to method, or to what are the directions in which scientific pursuit 

 and hypothesis are legitimate. It is often er by diverting or misdirecting scien- 

 tific pursuit than in any other way that such speculative opinion! are of seri- 

 ous importance; and in this way they are purely mischi vous. The theory of 

 types is undoubtedly right in refusing assent to the doctrin > an established 

 induction, that every part, arrangement, or function of an organism is of some 

 special, though it may be unrecognized, service to its life ; but it is wrong in 

 assuming, on the other hand, that all attempts at discovering uses which arc 

 not present or obvious must be futile; or, in assuming that then ire chai 



teristic features in all organisms, which arc not only at present of no use 

 but never could have been grounds of advantage. Again, the theory of the 

 essential reference of every feature of an organism to the conditions of it* 

 existence is undoubted right in refusing I cut to this assumption of « nt.ally 

 useless forms, and in affirming the legitimacy of inquiries concerning the utility 

 of any feature whatever to the life of an organism, however far removed in 

 appearance from any relations to its present conditions of existe* It 



the other hand, in confounding the legitimacy of this pursuit with 

 the docrma in which, as a theory, it essentially consists, or in assuming as an 



g, on 



established induction what is only a legitimate question or line of inquiry. It 



is obvious, however, that a proper scientific judgment of these theories cannot 

 be absolutely impartial, since one of them is opposed to scientific purs.ut. and 



the other 



The theory of types, assuming that utility is only 



(] funct 



ficial or incidental character, and not a property of organic for 

 generally, occupies a negative and forbidding attitude top** wb« are real .v 

 regitinJe questions of science; and, from this point of m«, judpn-nt 

 be made in favor of the rival dogroa. We ought to be on our guard nor - 



« this theory, since there is a strong natural, but erroneo and 

 mischievous, tendency in the mind to fall back upon ,t from * *■£•£ 

 a baffled pursuit ; and to regard as real.y u.timate those facts of , «h b 



r \ , -. ^m^liP* This resort ran ne\er De jiibu 



agai 



causes and dependences elude our researcnes. — > -Wether 



, , . ,.„_ __ ^— » m *\n anv suctions of explanation not altogether 



Jed so long a, the, reman. J^^ ^ ^ ^ 



frivolous, or incapable ot some uegic „ lirai1 u ;, the chief 



L r „ +h* difficulties of scientific pursuit is me cmei 

 that this tendency to rest from the difficulties 



VOL. IX. 



52 



