Spiritual Evolution of Society 195 



than Bergson ; the fight between them is only a wordy 

 warfare, and it cannot be said that the mechanists 

 carry off the palm. And why ? Because a man of 

 science must take cognisance of all the phenomena of 

 Nature, and Mr. Elliot cannot get away from the things 

 he can see, and taste, and feel ; the law of the auto- 

 maton is final. Why does he not extend his range of 

 vision to those things which move humanity, to the 

 methods by which men are trying to alter the face of 

 history and make life better for all nations and peoples 

 and tongues ? 



We can agree that modern science is further advanced 

 than mediaeval scholasticism, but the fact remains that 

 it is yet under the dominance of a creed just as much as 

 any of our modern systems of theology. The present- 

 day creed of science is the Darwinian theory, and until 

 recently to doubt it was proof of prejudice and ignor- 

 ance, for the action of Natural Selection was as demon- 

 strable as the sun at noonday. But there always have 

 been a few who did not find the evidence irrefutable, and 

 refused to bow the knee ; among others, as has been 

 shown, Paulin, who was the first to demonstrate the non- 

 necessity of the operation of such a law. And to-day 

 two acknowledged observers and zoologists of the first 

 rank, Dewar and Finn, in their book " The Making of 

 Species," adduce evidence to show the small part, if 

 any, which natural selection plays in the organic world 

 of Nature. It is to be hoped that the mechanistic phil- 

 osophers will ponder the statements of these thinkers 

 and observers, and it is possible that even they will 

 come to doubt that we have got so very far from 

 mediaeval scholasticism. Doubtless there is extended 

 vision of many phenomena and of the natural laws 

 governing them, but we are a long way from finality, 

 and we have cause for humility when we reflect that 

 the creed which has held sway for over half a century 



