CHAPTER VII. 



In the year 1899 Haeckel published a new work, which 

 he intended as a kind of testament; for with the close of 

 the nineteenth century the author desired to put a finish- 

 ing touch to his life-work. 



In the Preface Haeckel states with very remarkable 

 modesty that his book cannot reasonably claim to present 

 a complete solution of the riddles of existence; that his 

 answer to the great questions can naturally be only sub- 

 jective and only partly correct; that kis attainments in the 

 different branches is very unequal and imperfect; and that 

 his book is really only a sketch book of studies of very 

 unequal value. In this way the author naturally gains at 

 once the confidence of his reader who is thus prepared to 

 yield assent when the author makes pretense to sincerity of 

 conviction and an honest search after truth. The reader's 

 surprise at the contents of the book and at the manner of 

 its presentation is, however, only increased by this ruse. 

 All modesty has vanished, monistic doctrines are presented 

 as absolute truth, every divergent opinion is contemptu- 

 ously branded as heretical; in short, the book reveals a 

 Darwinian orthodoxy of the purest type, with all the signs 

 of blind bigotry and odious intolerance which the author 

 imagines he discovers in his Christian adversaries. It is 

 difificult to see Vvhere, in view of such a contradiction be- 



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