COX ON THE FOUNDER OF THE EVOLUTION THEORY 241 
tainly did not found a unified theory of evolution applicable to the whole 
animate world. As to animals, Lamarck appears to have attained to the 
point of view of Malthus, but Darwin took the Malthusian principle for a 
starting-place and developed his theory of natural selection from that basis 
to cover every form of living thing. 
Lamarck appears to have believed, as Darwin did afterwards, that 
varieties become races and, with time, come to constitute species, but it is 
not at all clear how far he thought this process continued or at what point 
he regarded natural law as ceasing and supernatural direction as intervening, 
for he says: 
Will one dare to carry the spirit of system to the point of saying that it is nature, 
and she alone, which creates this astonishing diversity of means, of ruses, of skill, of 
precautions, of patience, of which the industry of animals offers us so many examples! 
What we observe in this respect in the class of insects alone, is it not a thousand times 
more than is necessary to compel us to perceive that the limits of the power of nature 
by no means permit her herself to produce so many marvels, and to force the most 
obstinate philosophy to recognize that here the will of the supreme author of all 
things has been necessary, and has alone sufficed to cause the existence of so many 
admirable things. 1 
There runs all through Lamarck’s writings a teleological vein, which is, 
of course, not strictly scientific and which, on that account, is antagonistic 
to the general trend of Darwinism. Darwin several times expressed himself 
quite decidedly on this subject. For instance, in a letter to Asa Gray, 
written in November, 1860, he says: 
I cannot think that the world, as we see it, is the result of chance; and yet 
I cannot look at each separate thing as the result of design. To take a crucial 
example, you lead me to infer that you believe “that variation has been led along 
certain beneficial lines.” I cannot believe this; and I think you would have to 
believe that the tail of the Fantail was led to vary in the number and direction of its 
feathers in order to gratify the caprice of a few men. 2 
In another letter to Gray be writes: 
I have lately been corresponding with Lyell who, I think, adopts your idea of 
the stream of variation having been led or designed. I have asked him (and he says 
he will hereafter reflect and answer me) whether he believes that the shape of my 
nose was designed. If he does, I have nothing more to say. 3 
The idea that all development proceeds along predetermined lines 
because all variations in structure arise with relation to definite objective 
ends is, without doubt, a form of the Paleyian doctrine of design. Whatever 
1 “Philosophic Zoologique,” Packard’s translation, in “ Lamarck the Founder of Evolu¬ 
tion,” pp. 269-270. 1901. 
2 “Life and Letters,” Vol. II., p. 353. 1887. 
3 Ibid., p. 378. 
