1 



588 



THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



doctrines of Evolution. The arguments in favour of 

 these general doctrines were, however, quite ovcn 

 whelming, and could not be shaken. The difficulties 

 therefore, had to be explained in some manner- but 

 unfortunately instead of facing the adverse criticisms 

 of biologists and following out his own doctrines to 



their 



logical conclusions, Mr. 



Herbert Spencer at- 

 tempted to reconcile the apparent discrepancies by 

 denying that there existed in organisms any internal 

 tendency to progressive differentiation. It is true 

 there were only two alternatives ; and not being satis- 

 fied as to the present occurrence of the evolution of 

 living matter, he had no choice but to accept the other 

 supposition, and with it all the contradictions which it 

 involved. 



So long, however, as there occurs a changing incidence 

 of external forces. Mr. Soencer is auite willinp- to con- 



result; because, as he expresses it, ^a liability to be 

 unfolded arises from the actions and reactions between 



organisms and their fluctuating environments i.' 



And 



how all-pervading such changes are may be imagined 

 when Mr. Spencer habitually formulates them as being 

 produced by ^astronomic, geologic, meteorologic, and 

 organic agencies.' That the long-continued action of 

 such agencies tends to produce cumulative effects and 

 progressively higher organization in some of the forms, 



t 



is explicitly taught by Mr. Spencer, since he speaks of 



I i 



Principles of Biology/ vol. i. p. 431. 



tfu/s Flora a 

 ' lernation of d 

 < eavironnient c 



is i1 



• silt) 



} 



ants of simple 

 reproduc 



fcatioiij dur 



1 tbe millions c 



elapsed since t 



.Spencer S( 

 tte fact that 1 



cede that an increased complexity of organization must i ^I^e survive 



I 



'teir habitats 

 itats whic' 

 ""N habitj 



inipossibili 

 some of 



'^^^ to n,e 



of 



t 





seof 



any 3 



pe( 



V 



cad. 





