An exposition of fallacies in the hypothesis of MrDarwin . sical science. On the other hand, there is a nume-rous group, not in the slightest degree entitled to rankas physicists—though in general they assume the proudtitle of philosophers—who assert that not merely life,but even volition and consciousness are mere physicalmanifestations. These opposite errors, into neither ofwhich is it possible for a genuine scientific man to fall—so Ions: at least as he retains his reason—are easilyseen to be very closely allied. They are both to beattributed to that credulity which is characteristic alikeo
An exposition of fallacies in the hypothesis of MrDarwin . sical science. On the other hand, there is a nume-rous group, not in the slightest degree entitled to rankas physicists—though in general they assume the proudtitle of philosophers—who assert that not merely life,but even volition and consciousness are mere physicalmanifestations. These opposite errors, into neither ofwhich is it possible for a genuine scientific man to fall—so Ions: at least as he retains his reason—are easilyseen to be very closely allied. They are both to beattributed to that credulity which is characteristic alikeof ignorance and of Incapacity. Unfortunately there isno cure-^the case is hopeless; for great ignorance * Lectures at tlie Eoyal Institution by Professor Haughton. D 2 36 FALLACIES OF DARWINISM. almost necessarily presumes incapacity, whether itshows itself in the comparatively harmless folly of thespiritualist or in the pernicious nonsense of the mate-rialist. Alike condemned and contemned we leavethem to their proper fate—oblivion. ,(,i. 1/ :. 1. Tetrahedron. 2. Cube. 4. Pentagonal Dodecahedron. 3. Icosahedron, 37 CHAPTEE III. THE PHYSICO-PSYCHICAL ARGUMENT. Darwinism as it is presumed to derive support from tlie doctrine ofEvolution formulated by Mr. Herbert Spencer,—Mr. Spencers defi-nition of Evolution.—The difficulties of arguing against Darwinism.—The Unknowable.—Ultimate Scientific ideas.—Space and Time.—Reason consists in power of Comparison.—Existence of goodand evil explained.—Motion.—Force.—Sir Isaac Newtons expla-nation of thewhy of gravitation.—Consciousness.—Man not con-scious of his own existence.—The dogma disproved.—Questions whichspring from Mr. Herbert Spencers arguments. Mr. Herbert Spencer defines evolution in thesense used by the Darwinian school as follows:— Evolution is an integration of matter and concomitantdissipation of motion, during which the matter passesfrom an indefinite, incoherent homogene
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