XXII 
THE INFLUENCE OF THE CONCEPTION OF 
EVOLUTION ON MODERN PHILOSOPHY 
By H. H6rrp1ne. 
Professor of Philosophy in the University of Copenhagen. 
I. 
Ir is difficult to draw a sharp line between philosophy and 
natural science. The naturalist who introduces a new principle, or 
demonstrates a fact which throws a new light on existence, not only 
renders an important service to philosophy but is himself a philosopher 
in the broader sense of the word. The aim of philosophy in the 
stricter sense is to attain points of view from which the fundamental 
phenomena and the principles of the special sciences can be seen in 
their relative importance and connection. But philosophy in this 
stricter sense has always been influenced by philosophy in the broader 
sense. Greek philosophy came under the influence of logic and 
mathematics, modern philosophy under the influence of natural 
science. The name of Charles Darwin stands with those of Galileo, 
Newton, and Robert Mayer—names which denote new problems and 
great alterations in our conception of the universe. 
First of all we must lay stress on Darwin’s own personality. 
His deep love of truth, his indefatigable inquiry, his wide horizon, 
and his steady self-criticism make him a scientific model, even if his 
results and theories should eventually come to possess mainly an 
historical interest. In the intellectual domain the primary object is 
to reach high summits from which wide surveys are possible, to reach 
them toiling honestly upwards by the way of experience, and then 
not to turn dizzy when a summit is gained. Darwinians have some- 
times turned dizzy, but Darwin never. He saw from the first the 
great importance of his hypothesis, not only because of its solution 
of the old problem as to the value of the concept of species, not only 
because of the grand picture of natural evolution which it unrolls, 
but also because of the life and inspiration its method would impart 
to the study of comparative anatomy, of instinct and of heredity, and 
