The Theories of Darwin and Their Relation to Philosophy, Religion, and Morality | Page 7

as the individuals of
the already existing species; and a {25} closer acquaintance with the
manner of their origin is not only no disturbance to his ground of belief,
but, on the contrary, an addition to his knowledge of the method of
God's action. In every man of sound mind, the religious faith is not
antagonistic or even indifferent to the scientific impulse toward
investigation, but stands upon a most intimate footing with it. Hence
the human intellect again and again makes the attempt to find an

answer to the problem of the origin of species in a scientific way, and
each endeavor of this kind necessarily ends with the dilemma that
either the first individuals of a species, no matter whether it be the
highest or the lowest, have been evolved out of inorganic matter, or
they originated by descent from the most closely related species of their
predecessors. The denial of the first part of our dilemma, and the
affirmation of the second, is the "Theory of Descent."
But this theory of descent leads us at once into another dilemma. If the
species originated by descent from the most closely related lower
species, and under certain circumstances also from species of the same
rank, and even by degeneration from the next higher, it must have
occurred in one of two ways: either by leaps--called by naturalists
"metamorphosis of germs" or "heterogenetic conception"--or by a
succession of imperceptibly small alterations of the individuals from
generation to generation. Each of these changes would have been no
greater than the differences we observe to-day between the individuals
of the very same species, but became in the course of time so massed
and strengthened in one direction that new species have been evolved.
This hypothesis is called the "Theory of Development," {26} or
"Evolution." We retain this name, although well aware of the fact that
the authors do not agree in their use of the term "evolution." Professor
Wigand, who adopts only the theory of a descent from one primordial
cell to another, and who positively rejects the idea of a progress from
one fully developed species to another, claims among other things that
one value of his own theory is that he secures for the idea of evolution
its full meaning. The expression still has a meaning for those who
reject the real descent of the species or their primordial germs one from
another, and acknowledge only the ideal bond of a common plan in
their successive manifestations. But as soon as we examine more
closely the literal and logical meaning of the word, we shall find it of
most weight when we understand by it the before-mentioned gradual
evolution in opposition to the theory of progress by leaps or new
creations. Moreover, it is well known that long before this no other
term than evolution was used to designate the growth of a single
organic individual from the primordial cell and egg to its fully
developed form and vital function. Besides, we find ourselves also in

harmony with most of the authors, so far as they have distinct
conceptions of the different scientific problems, if we use the term
"theory of evolution" for the gradual development of one species from
another, in opposition to the hypothesis of a metamorphosis of germs,
or even of a genealogy of primordial cells.
But each evolution theory leads again to new theories, as soon as it has
to be proved in a scientific way. For it can claim a scientific worth only
when sustained by earnest attempts to find and prove the {27}
productive power, agencies and laws of such an evolution of species.
Those attempts can be made in various ways. As a philosophical
question, many attempts at solution have been made, both in ancient
and modern times; but being mainly in the realm of metaphysics, they
do not come within the limits of our scientific essay. As a question for
investigators of natural phenomena, only two attempts of sufficient
importance to be mentioned have been made. The first one was made
by Lamarck, who, taking the really different ideas of descent and
evolution as one, made use of the hypothesis of transmutation; thus
becoming the pioneer of Darwinism. The other attempt was made by
Darwin in his theory of natural selection, or struggle, for existence, and
is called the "Theory of Selection."
In defining our problem, therefore, we find ourselves under the
influence of a scientific law of development. The simple problem
which we started from has developed into a trinity of problems and
attempts at solution. The simple question of the origin of species led us
into the dilemma of a generatio æquivoca, or a descent; the hypothesis
of a descent led to the dilemma of a heterogenetic conception, or an
evolution; and