such views and tendencies, speak of a 'mechanical mythol- 

 ogy in opposition to the animistic mythology of the old re- 

 ligions' and considers both as 'improper and fantastic 

 exaggerations based on a one-sided judgment." "My posi- 

 tion on the question just stated becomes apparent from 

 the consideration that the living organism is not only a 

 complex of chemical materials and a bearer of physical 

 forces, but also possesses a special organization, a struc- 

 ture, by means of which it is very essentially differentiated 

 from the inorganic world, and in virtue of which it alone 

 is designated as living." 



Here, then, the distinction between living and non- 

 living nature is clearly and definitely expressed, and Hert- 

 wig expresses himself just as definitely when he says (p- 

 2i): "Whereas, but a few decades ago a scientific material- 

 istic conception of the world issuing from a onesided, un- 

 historical point of view, misjudged the significance of the 

 historic religious and ethical forces in the development of 

 mankind, a change has become apparent in this regard." 



To this gratifying testimony against materialism the 

 distinguished naturalist added an equally valuable testimo- 

 ny regarding Darwinism on the occasion of the naturalists' 

 convention in 1900. He there sketched an excellent sum- 

 mary of the "Development of Biology in the Ninteenth 

 Century," in which he decidedly opposes the materialistic- 

 mechanical conception of life. In so doing he also touches 

 upon Haeckel's carbon-hypothesis, to which the latter still 

 clings, and says: "That from the properties of carbon, 

 combined with the properties of oxygen, hydrogen, nitro- 



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