CHAPTER VIII. 



I have already called attention several times to the 

 fact that Darwinism is indeed on the wane among men of 

 science, but that it has gradually penetrated into lay cir- 

 cles where it is now posing as irrefragable truth. Especial- 

 ly the circles dominated by the social democrats swear by 

 nothing higher than Darwin and Haeckel. In fact, only a 

 short time ago Bebel publicly professed himself a convert 

 to Haeckel's wisdom. 



It is inevitable, however, that light should gradually 

 dawn even in these circles, for it would be indeed strange, 

 if no honest man could be found to tell them the truth re- 

 garding Darwinism. This has occurred sooner than I 

 dared to hope. This chapter can announce the glad tidings 

 that even in "social-democratic science" Darwinism is 

 doomed to decay. Much printer's ink will, of coiu^se, be 

 yet wasted before it will be so entirely dead as to be no 

 longer available as a weapon against Christianity; but a 

 beginning at least has been made. 



In the December number of the ninth year of the 

 Sozialistische Monatshefte, a social-democratic writer, 

 Curt Grottewitz, undertakes to bring out an ar- 

 ticle on "Darwinian Myths." It is stated there that 

 Darwin had a few eminent followers, but that the edu- 

 cated world took no notice of their work; that now, how- 



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