THE 
AMERICAN NATURALIST 
Vor. XXX. September, 1896. 357 
PROF. BALDWIN’S “NEW FACTOR IN EVOLUTION,”! 
By HERBERT NICHOLS. 
That the jpendulum of opinion swung too violently against 
the conception that mind is an active factor in Evolution I 
count the major misfortune of the modern epoch of Science. 
That there is now a return of interest I esteem to be the most 
important outlook of our day. That this return of interest 
centres in Psychology is inevitable. If now this new move- 
ment should become abortive through any false lead of Psy- 
chology the result would be deplorable. 
It is with anxiety, therefore, that I read the numerous writ- 
ings of Prof. J. Mark Baldwin upon the rôle played by mind 
in Evolution (see above Reprint for complete list). The pro- 
lifie earnestness of this author, together with his conspicuous 
position as professor at Princeton and Alternate Editor of The 
Psycological Review, give unusual prominence to his views. 
Yet these views, as I believe, are precisely of the kind which 
we have most to dread. It is in this belief that I am prompted 
to the analysis of them which I here propose. And as Prof. 
Baldwin has no more enthusiastic admirer of his sincerity and 
1 Reprinted from THE AMERICAN NATURALIST, June and July, 1896. — 
49 ee a | 
