ADVANCE OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. 21 



to-day are left more exclusively to science. The 

 order of the Universe and the laws of Nature formed 

 a large part of speculation from the times of Bacon 

 to Schelling; in fact, now and again this speculation 

 sprang directly from observation of Nature, and it 

 is a most striking fact that every great philosopher 

 touched upon the Evolution idea. Bruno was a 

 radical evolutionist, although his notions were more 

 Oriental than European. Bacon foresaw the close 

 bearings of Variation and of experimental Evolution 

 upon species transformation. Descartes cautiously 

 advocated the Evolution idea. Leibnitz may even 

 be considered the head of a school of evolutionists. 

 Kant in his earlier wTitings held advanced views. 

 Thus the naturalists, whenever they passed from 

 direct observation to speculation upon the causes of 

 things, drew their suggestions and inspiration largely 

 from these philosophers. 



This need not lead us into the history of the 

 discussion of primary causes, nor of the mechanical 

 and monistic versus the dualistic view of Nature. 

 The evolution of life as an organic law, more com- 

 plex but comparable to any inorganic law, such as 

 gravitation, is one phase of natural causation. For 

 whatever principle regulates the rapid fall of a 

 wounded bird to the earth, is the same in kind, so 

 far as our philosophy of Nature is concerned, as 

 that which, during millions of years, has slowly 

 evolved the bird from the earth. Some of the 

 Greeks early saw this truth; yet in the progress 



