234 THE EVOLUTION OF MAN. 



point of view of development than is now the case ; that is, we should study 

 each organ, each tissue, and even each function simply with the view of 

 determining whence they have arisen." — Emil Huschke (1832). 



The sense-organs are undeniably among the most important 

 and most interesting parts of the human body; through 

 their activity alone we recognize the objects in the world 

 around us. " Nihil est in intellectu, quod non prius fuerit in 

 sensu." They are the true springs of our mental life. In no 

 other part of the animal body can we point to such extremely 

 delicate and complex anatomical contrivances, co-operating 

 for a definite physiological aim ; and in no other part of the 

 body do these wonderful and very apt contrivances seem, at 

 first, to indicate a premeditated creative design so conclu- 

 sively. Hence it is that, in accordance with the received 

 teleological view, it has been customary to admire the so- 

 called " wisdom of the Creator " and the " purposive con- 

 trivances of His Creation " especially in this matter. But 

 on more mature consideration it will be observed that the 

 Creator, according to this conception, does after all but play 

 the part of an ingenious mechanic or of a skilful watch- 

 maker; just, indeed, as all these cherished teleological 

 conceptions of the Creator and His Creation are based on 

 childish anthropomorphism. 



We admit that at first sight this teleological explana- 

 tion seems to afford the simplest and fittest interpretation 

 of these very apt contrivances. If the structure and func- 

 tions of the very highly developed sense-organs are alone 

 regarded, it seems as though their origin is hardly explic- 

 able except on the assumption of a supernatural creative 

 act. But it is exactly on this point that the history of 



