KANT AS A TELEOLOGIST. 105 
true scientific reasoning. On account of this one passage 
taken by itself, we might place Kant beside Goethe and 
Lamarck, as one of the first founders of the Doctrine of 
Descent ; and considering the high authority which Kant’s 
Critical Philosophy most justly enjoys, this circumstance 
~might perhaps induce many a philosopher to decide in 
favour of the theory. But as soon as we consider this 
passage in connection with the other train of thoughts in 
the “Criticism of the Faculty of Judgment,” and balance 
it against other directly contradictory passages, we see 
clearly that Kant, in these and some similar (but weaker) 
sentences, went beyond himself, and abandoned the teleo- 
logical point of view which he usually adopts in Biology. 
Directly after the admirable passage which I have just 
quoted, there follows a remark which completely takes off 
its edge. After having quite correctly maintained the 
origin of organic forms out of raw matter by mechanical 
laws (in the manner of crystallization), as well as a gradual 
development of the different species by descent from one 
common original parent, Kant adds, “ But he (the archzeolo- 
gist of nature, that is the paleontologist) must for this end 
ascribe to the common mother an organization ordained 
purposely with a view to the needs of all her offspring, 
otherwise the possibility of suitability of form in the pro- 
ducts of the animal and vegetable kingdoms (ze. teleological 
adaptation) cannot be conceived at all.” This addition 
clearly contradicts the most important fundamental thought 
of the preceding passage, viz. that a purely mechanical ex- 
planation of organic nature becomes possible through the 
Theory of Descent. And that the teleological conception 
of organic nature predominated with Kant, is shown by 
