THE FUNDAMENTAL LAW OF BIOGENy. 435 



further course of its development. We were thus enabled 

 to determine the place of Man more definitely in the system 

 of this class, and accordingly to establish the nature of his 

 relation to the various mammalian orders. 



The course of reasoning which we adopted in explaining 

 these ontogenetic facts, was simply the logical carrying out 

 of the fundamental law of Biogeny. In so doing we have 

 constantly tried to carry out the significant distinction 

 between palingenetic and kenogenetic phenomena. Palin- 

 genesis, or " the history of inheritance," alone enabled us to 

 draw direct conclusions from observed germ-forms as to the 

 tribal forms transmitted by heredity. On the other hand, 

 these conclusions were more or less endangered, wherever 

 Kenogenesis, or "vitiated evolution," was introduced by new 

 adaptations. The whole understanding of the history of in- 

 dividual evolution depends on the recognition of this most 

 important relation. We stand here on the border-line which 

 sharply divides the new from the old method of scientific 

 investigation, the new from the old conception of the world. 

 All the results of recent morphological research drive us 

 with irresistible force to the recognition of this fundamental 

 principle of Biogeny, and of its far-reaching consequences. 

 These are, it is true, irreconcilable with the customary 

 mythological ideas of the world, and with the powerful 

 prejudices engrafted into us in early youth by theosophic 

 instruction ; but, without this fundamental law of Biogeny, 

 without the distinction between Palingenesis and Keno- 

 genesis, and without the Theory of Descent, upon which 

 these are based, we are entirely unable to understand the 

 facts of organic development ; without these, we cannot 

 afford the faintest explanation of any part of this great and 



