HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF EVOLUTION THEORY 21 
“Lamarck, as a naturalist, exhibited exceptional powers of defini- 
tion and description, while in his philosophical writings upon Evolu- 
tion, his speculation far outran his observations, and his theory 
suffered from the absurd illustrations which he brought forward in 
support of it... .. His critics spread the impression that he believed 
animals acquired new organs simply by wishing for them. His really 
sound speculation in Zodlogy was also injured by his earlier thoroughly 
worthless speculation in Chemistry and other branches of science. 
Another marked defect was, that Lamarck was completely carried 
away with the belief that his theory of the transmission of acquired 
characters was adequate to explain all the phenomena. He did not, 
like his contemporaries, Erasmus Darwin and Goethe, perceive and 
point out, that certain problems in the origin of adaptations were still 
left wholly untouched and unsolved... .. His arguments are, in 
most cases, not inductive, but deductive, and are frequently found not 
to support his law but to postulate it. 
“Tt is now a question whether Lamarck’s factor is a factor in 
Evolution at all! If it prove to be no factor, Lamarck will sink 
gradually into obscurity as one great figure in the history of opinion. 
If it prove to be a real factor, he will rise into a more eminent position 
than he now holds,—into a rank not far below Darwin.” 
CUVIER AND GEOFFROY ST. HILAIRE 
Georges Cuvier (1769-1832) deserves especial mention as one of the 
strongest negative factors in the development of the evolution idea. 
He was, first of all, an opponent of Lamarck, and, second, of evolution 
in general. He ranged himself with Linnaeus as a special creationist 
and advocated the idea of fixity of species. ‘‘All the beings,” said he, 
“belonging to one of these forms (perpetual since the beginning of all 
things, that is, the Creation) constitute what we call species.” So 
able was Cuvier and so much in favor at the French court that he 
succeeded in throwing Lamarck’s views into disrepute and thus 
greatly retarded the progress of evolution. He was brilliant as a 
comparative anatomist and palaeontologist and will long be known for 
his discoveries in these fields. 
E. Geoffroy St. Hilaire (1772-1844) did his best to defeat the 
retarding influence of Cuvier. The two engaged in a long and bitter 
controversy over the evolution idea. While not a supporter of 
Lamarckism proper, he was a thoroughgoing evolutionist, favoring 
