Four more Fallacies. 107 



the proof of its existence arises from the necessity 

 of its being there! The philosopher, Mr. Herbert 

 Spencer, besprinkles his pages with this kind of 

 formulas. It is all begging the question, assuming 

 what has to be proved. But then the assumptions 

 once made are taken as the basis of subsequent 

 " demonstrations." And here, with Mr. Darwin, 

 his point is not proved; it is positively disproved. 

 The answer is: No, let us say we do not know any- 

 thing about it, and therefore grant it! 



121. Hence we have a museum of paralogisms and 

 sophisms in the modern school of science. 



T 1T r r 1 J* Sophisms: — 



We may note four or five more, in addi- Chance 

 tion to the half-dozen already instanced, induction, 

 In the first place, chance, possibility, or N ° n *k°^ a 

 their own personal convictions are taken 

 by these scientists to be convincing reasons for 

 others. Chance is an essential element in Darwin- 

 ism, for this theory excludes anything like a princi- 

 ple of evolution upwards; it posits only mechanical 

 adaptation to whatever conditions of environment 

 may occur. Possibility, a term oftentimes denoting 

 the impossible, is taken as a demonstration; and, 

 once used, it is thenceforth kept before the mind 

 by a suitable term; as we now see the term " evolu- 

 tion'' on every side, or the term " simian," ape-like, 

 or of apish affinities; as if these things had been 

 proved once for all to be facts, and now needed only 

 a term to recall them. This is only taking for granted 

 the thing to be proved. Or,secondly,the assumption 



