■Chap. XXI. GENEEAL SUMMAET AND CONCLUSION. 385 
CHAPTEE XXL 
Geneeal Summaey and Conclusion. 
Main conclusion that man is descended from some lower form — 
Manner of development — Genealogy of man — Intellectual and 
moral faculties — Sexual selection — Concluding remarks. 
A BKiEF summary will here be sufficient to recall to the 
reader s mind the more salient points in this work. 
Many of the views which have been advanced are highly 
Bpeculative, and some no doubt will prove erroneous ; 
but I have in every case given the reasons which have 
led me to one view rather than to another. It seemed 
worth while to try how far the principle of evolution 
would throw light on some of the more complex pro- 
blems in the natural history of man. False facts are 
highly injurious to the progress of science, for they often 
long endure; but false views, if supported by some 
evidence, do little harm, as every one takes a salutary 
pleasure in proving their falseness; and when this is 
done, one path towards error is closed and the road to 
•truth is often at the same time opened. 
The main conclusion arrived at in this work, and now 
held by many naturalists who are well competent to 
form a sound judgment, is that man is descended from 
«ome less highly organised form. The grounds upon 
which this conclusion rests will never be shaken, for the 
close similarity between man and the lower animals in 
embryonic development, as well as in innumerable 
points of structure and constitution, both of high and 
of the most trifling importance, — the rudiments which 
VOL. II. 2 c 
