242 



Thoughts on Causality, 



any of its aspects, is a case of post hoc ergo propter hoe. While 

 there is not a known instance of the derivation of a species, 

 its possibility is a mere hypothesis ; and the assertion that 

 all species are derivative is a stupendous assumption. What 

 knowledge we have of the serial relations of species dis- 

 closes the existence of obstacles which have never been 

 surmounted during the period of human observations. The 

 fossil treasures of our continent furnish us, in successive 

 ages, a series of equine quadrupeds with a progressively 

 diminishing development of toes, ending with the solidun- 

 gulate horse. Derivation assumes that these belong to one 

 genealogical line ; while every item of positive knowledge 

 respecting the stability of species, proclaims their trans- 

 formation impossible. The gigantic basal inconsequence 

 of Darwinism and every other form of derivation, is never- 

 theless greatly palliated by its harmony and parallelism 

 with the phenomena of embryonic development ; and I do 

 not think any man better authorized to deny than to affirm 

 dogmatically that specific derivation may yet be established 

 as a fact. 



Equally unfounded in reason or science is Mr. Spencer's 

 arbitrary assumption that instincts are inherited and accu- 

 mulated experiences " registered in the organism;" and 

 that our intuitive ideas are " organically remembered " 

 experiences. No glimmer of evidence exists of any such 

 connection between instinct or intuition and ancestry ; 

 while all attainable evidence shows that, besides the abso- 

 lute lack of qualitative resemblance between instinct or 

 intuition and its alleged cause, the instincts and intuitions 

 are the most absolutely fixed and secularly invariable ele- 

 ments in the system of life. 



~Not unfrequently the phenomena which challeuge our 

 investigation sustain relations of simple concomitance or 

 parallelism ; and when such relations appear tolerably uni- 

 form, it is natural to suspect some intercausal connection 

 between them, while in truth nothing of the kind may 



