76 Beauty in the Eyes of an Evolutionist. [February, 
alike in magnetic and in diamagnetic phenomena the at- 
tractive influence of magnetic energy is alcne concerned. 
But in the former case the aCtion of the external is sufficient 
to overcome the resistance of internal energies. In the 
latter case it is insufficient, and the traCtion aCts in such a 
way as to reduce the conflict of forces to the lowest possible 
level. 
IV. BEAUTY IN THE EYES OF AN 
EVOLUTIONIST. 
By F. Ram. 
& MONGST the new departures in Philosophy conse- 
quent on the discovery, by Mr. Darwin, of the way 
in which Evolution was effected by means of Natural 
Selection, it seems inevitable that some change in the older 
prevalent ideas connected with aesthetics must eventually be 
included. 
Although most persons assume that Beauty, where it 
exists, is immanent, and is the same semper et ubique , differ- 
ence of opinion on any point being attributed to more or less 
good taste, such an assumption has not been left undisturbed 
in the minds of men of a speculative disposition, by whom 
the question whether Beauty is an absolute quality, or one 
relative to certain conditions, has been discussed at least 
since the time when philosophy flourished in Greece. The 
conclusions arrived at by the best-known writers on the 
subjeCl are found, however, on examination, to be very 
conflicting ; and I believe that it may safely be said that no 
satisfactory result has been arrived at by them. One pro- 
minent theory is that Beauty resides in “ fitness,” — that is, 
the fitness of the admired object to its place in Nature. 
This theory, taken as a universal truth, appears to me to be 
quite untenable, for it implies that we can see no beauty in 
any objeCt until we have acquired so much knowledge 
respecting it, and its surroundings, that its fitness is evident 
to our understanding ; which presupposes either an alto- 
gether incredible amount of knowledge and capacity of 
