RELIGION. 



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We can no longer argue that, for instance, the beautiful hinge 

 of a bivalve shell must have been made by an intelligent 

 being, like the hinge of a door by man. There seems to be 

 no more design in the variability of organic beings, and in the 

 action of natural selection, than in the course which the wind 

 blows. But I have discussed this subject at the end of my 

 book on the ' Variations of Domesticated Animals and 

 Plants,' * and the argument there given has never, as far as I 

 can see, been answered. 



" But passing over the endless beautiful adaptations which 

 we everywhere meet with, it may be asked how can the gen- 

 erally beneficent arrangement of the world be accounted for? 

 Some writers indeed are so much impressed with the amount 

 of suffering in the world, that they doubt, if we look to all 

 sentient beings, whether there is more of misery or of happi- 

 ness ; whether the world as a whole is a good or bad one. 

 According to my judgment happiness decidedly prevails, 

 though this would be very difficult to prove. If the truth of 

 this conclusion be granted, it harmonizes well with the effects 

 which we might expect from natural selection. If all the 

 individuals of any species were habitually to suffer to an ex- 

 treme degree, they would neglect to propagate their kind ; 

 but we have no reason to believe that this has ever, or at least 

 often occurred. Some other considerations, moreover, lead 

 to the belief that all sentient beings have been formed so as 

 to enjoy, as a general rule, happiness. 



* My father asks whether we are to believe that the forms are preor- 

 dained of the broken fragments of rock tumbled from a precipice which are 

 fitted together by man to build his houses. If not, why should we believe 

 that the variations of domestic animals or plants are preordained for the 

 sake of the breeder? "But if we give up the principle in one case, . . . 

 no shadow of reason can be assigned for the belief that variations, alike in 

 nature and the result of the same general laws, which have been the ground- 

 work through natural selection of the formation of the most perfectly 

 adapted animals in the world, man included, were intentionally and spe- 

 cially guided." — ' The Variation of Animals and Plants,' 1st Edit. vol. ii. 

 p. 431.— F. D. 



