ORIGIN OF MAN. | 
about the animal descent of man. The courageous but 
cautious naturalist was at that time purposely silent on the 
subject, for he anticipated that this most important of all 
the conclusions of the Theory of Descent was at the same 
time the greatest obstacle to its being generally accepted 
and acknowledged. Certain it is that Darwin’s book would 
have created, from the beginning, even much more opposi- 
tion and offence, if this most important inference had at 
once been clearly expressed. It was not till twelve years 
later, in his work on “ The Descent of Man, and Selection 
in Relation to Sex,” that Darwin openly acknowledged that 
far-reaching conclusion, and expressly declared his entire 
agreement with those naturalists who had, in the mean- 
time, themselves formed that conclusion. Manifestly the 
effect of this conclusion is immense, and 10 science will be 
able to escape from the consequences. Anthropology, or the 
science of man, and consequently all philosophy, are thereby 
thoroughly reformed in all their various branches. 
It will be a later task in these pages to discuss this 
special point. I shall not treat of the theory of the animal 
descent of man till I have spoken of Darwin’s theory, and 
its general foundation and importance. To express it in 
one word, that most important, but (to most men) at first 
repulsive, conclusion is nothing more than a special deduc- 
tion, which we must draw from the general inductive law 
of the descent theory (now firmly established), according to 
the stern commands of inexorable logic. 
Perhaps nothing will make the full meaning of the theory 
of descent clearer than calling it “the non-miraculous 
listory of creation.” I have therefore chosen that name 
for this work. It is, however, correct only in a certain 
