CHAPTER I 
RISE OF THE THEORY OF NATURAL SELECTION AND 
ITS SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENT 
Pre-Darwinian Evolutionists—Causes which led to the speedy 
triumph of the theory of Natural Selection—Nature of the 
opposition which Darwin had to overcome—Post-Darwinian 
biology — Usually accepted classification of present-day 
biologists as Neo-Lamarckians and Neo-Darwinians is 
faulty—Biologists fall into three classes rather than two— 
Neo-Lamarckism: its defects—Wallaceism: its defects— 
Neo-Darwinism distinguished from Neo-Lamarckism and 
Wallaceism — Neo-Darwinism realises the strength and 
weakness of the theory of Natural Selection, recognises the 
complexity of the problems which biologists are endeavouring 
to solve. : 
ARWINISM and evolution are not 
interchangeable terms. On this fact 
it is impossible to lay too much 
emphasis. Charles Darwin was not 
the originator of the theory of evolution, nor 
even the first to advocate it in modern times. 
The idea that all existing things have been 
produced by natural causes from some primordial 
material is as old as Aristotle. It was lost 
A 1 
