566 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
IMEUD SON OSU IG Tals bOS Oli. 
ITS THEORY OF EVOLUTION. 
One of the fundamental assumptions of Mr. Spencer’s Synthetic Philosophy 
is that Nature, as man knows it, with its myriad forms, and these with their vari- 
ous faculties, is the product of a process of evolution. Evolution he defines as 
an integration of matter and a dissipation of motion. ‘That is to say, the growth 
of any thing is the accumulation together, into a definite concentrated form, of 
matter, which previously existed in a more diffused and mobile state. This is 
applied to the celestial bodies as well as animal vegetable and inorganic forms on 
earth. This fairly represents the universal process of growth, but it fails utterly 
to account for either the matter that is integrated, or the force which is the cause 
of the motion dissipated. It fails likewise to account for the laws by which the 
matter in becoming thus integrated assumes certain definite forms, and repeats 
these forms generation after generation. ; 
Evolution, however, is chiefly distinguished as such, by its explanations of 
the facts of Biological Science. Though Mr. Spencer has sought to elaborate 
it into an account of all things, it is by its account of the origin of species and the 
descent of man, through gradual differentiations and modifications of previously 
existing forms, that it gets its name; and by reason of the greater familiarity of 
readers with the writings of such evolutionists as Darwin and Haeckel, the word 
usually awakens in the mind this idea of the origin of vegetable and animal forms. 
It is here that the facts upon which it is founded are to be found; and it is in 
this department of scientific research, that the laws upon which it relies for sup- 
port have been disclosed. Mr. Spencer, in discussing this branch of the subject, 
has grouped together a great mass of facts and laws, gathered from many different 
sources and verified by many observers and experimenters. These may therefore 
be fully accepted as ascertained truth; and a statement of the leading ones, quoted 
from Mr. Spencer’s books, will show their real significance. 
The theory being that all existing species are modifications of previously 
existing forms, running from man back to matter, it will be well to examine first 
how, and under what conditions such modifications can occur. In treating of 
adaptation of forms of organisms to their environment, Mr. Spencer says: ‘‘ Since 
the function of any organ is dependent on the functions of the organs which 
supply it with materials and forces; and since the functions of these subsidiary 
organs are dependent on the functions of organs which supply them with materi- 
als and forces, it follows that before any great extra power of discharging its func- 
tions can be gained by a specially exercised organ, considerable extra power 
must be gained by a series of immediately subservient organs, and some extra 
power by a secondary series of remotely-subservient organs. Thus there are 
