DARWIN CENTENARY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 425, 6 February 1909, Page 7

DARWIN CENTENARY.

A REVIEW. , EVOLUTION AND MODERN THOUGHT. In veiw of tho fact that tho present year h tlio centenary of tho birth of ; Charles ■ Darwin and also the fiftieth anniversary- of ■the 'publication -of ■ his book, ''Tho Origin of Species," ; the Rev. P. N.. Waggott recently: delivered a course of lectures in London onthe influence of Darwinism on 'religious,' sciontifio, .and philosophic ' thought. ■ Mr. ■ Waggett, who is. ono: of the Cowley Fathers (Anglican), is in every way, qualified to de^l : ;with.the subject. . Ho had a brilliant career. atOxford'a'nd gained".a ;first-class in natural ;■ science. . Ho has r made. a special.study 'of biology,.and is also well;abreast of the latest 1 devojopments of mo'dorri theology -and. philosp- , phy. -.lii^his.opening.:lectur'b'ho said:. ■ '-- ; -:V .The year 1909 will be a jear.of many cole-' I bratioris of Darwin, in meetings, books,, sbr-', : mons, speeches, and articles. There will be '. learned and unlearned expressions of opin- ' . ion' about Darwin and: his . doctrines; there may be some'reyival among believers ; ; and 1 their; critics.of the. first, and,as ; l think, ex- ■ aggerated, excitement. about, the 'theological ! beariiigs of the Darwinian theories;; some ef-; ; fort, I hope,-to appreciate our debt'to him; '.- some useful words of warning and encourage-. I' ment; a wider, knowledge,, r trust, .ofthe singularly; attractive charaoter. of a.-.very 1 great and humble, man.; . :.:'..,' I; am my- | self-, an. old-fashioned . iDarwinist;'-. , believing ' ystill-'-.iii. tho.general prevalence of : : natural 1 selection, believing what; is taught by "Weis-. ' manii.and by Poulton and not s . seeing at present (though I >havo' followed .the 1 hewj'studies)- any reason, -'for.''departing :from ['■ tho typical Darwinian. : .:standpoint... ;Oh. the ; OtHer- lhand,: -it. is ; hardly., necessary to say; '. .hero:l.vam-'.'a^Christian.;in the ordinary: and ' ■ tyjlioal .sense, .so'far'..as.".belicf::-is .concerned, 1 : ' believing the- Catholic creeds arid never -fur- :' ther; :_than now: from: departure..from'.'-':their; ' 'teaching. To some mejv- this; may seem an 1 abnormal, position.. Ho me it,is profoundly , •'" .reasonable. I give it you; in order- thatybu, ' may know beforehand the kind of conclusiori ! to which I wish to : lead: you.; ' j : ;^i.;.:;;■ ' v ;, Evolution an Old Dootrlna.. "■ -,;'... ' (1) Whatj. then, s was-Darwin's special or; i■ characteristic. teaching: in' natural history P .'•■-. I ; We ;know'-that he taught evolution;.but it ! was hot in. this that he was original..-Evplu-> , tipn, was an old doctrine when Darwin.,wrote, - J . but it rwas a_ doctrine finding in his"day;few [: .supporters, ln.saying; then, that Darwin ( . -was' ript the;first -exponent-of' ■evolution,, we. itlust ■ add that his' theory 'of the ;manner;of : I' /evolution-' made: evolution;; itself,;credible as'• it l ;had'never :b'een' before .;"' fc l:';'.' J .v; _. ',-:. L, , Still;; Evolution ivas; an:' oidldoctrine.:;;Mariy, .' men' jri: different "ages/ and.countries"'thb'ucht' • theyJhad proof,' or conjectured -the prbbabil-: ~ ityj-that'the'different 'forms;-'of living i.erea-' j tures, animals; and plants had been | derived t by descent:from.fewer, or; very: fewj 'or,';ev.en ? from one 1 single form of lifo.' Descent ,w.itn: [■ modification .is -an ancient; doctririe.A It'.was .'■ found in China before ouii era.' ;It is found ■'. in.Aristotle. It was always at least a.notipn ':: accompanying the' study of; life. . '.In •; .the; ', ' ' seventeenth century in: England it was ,be- '' -lieved'- :'inj with .regard' ; at :loast : to certain ," foriris, and' it was not.' thought unorthodox: for .Christians. .'Finally, Darwin's timej presented it to the, world 'in " a great way which wo shall refer,-■• to.;pre-. ; r - sently ; and"The Yestige's of Creation":made, ' it almost popular by a treatmc'nt.which'is to-' '. .t6resting and clever; but.not groat prscienJ.- tific.' '".-. '-v.'v; ■■:. '. /■', : >'"'':'. v- , ; ';i':. '■.''■? '.'■-' - : y'.; '■■ "... iDarwin, .then,, .is' ribt.;the "first;"evolution-' "v .|sti'""eyen\'6f;'oiir.-..Mo'dem'''tiJnei 4 ';.' .': ;' "."''■:-,:". y ~-■ ;:'i-;; Darwin's Great: Predecessor./;; ; ; :';^' _ yWe .'must■deyote.a few';.words especially:.to' " his:great ( 'predecessbr, Lamarck. ,'Lamarokj a': •, Frenchman, 1 : prbduced his .thebry of .'evolution, .-. .1 think in. 1801, at any.rate'in tho Very first "'; ! years of .thei last century.- His work, the re-. . : suit of great talent,arid/industry, appeared,; , .you. see,.:duriiig:that, : . strange ..timo when j ';France, and aU'the world , because of France, j ;were.seething,in the.Heat and thunder , of the . Revoiation,.:when,France.was struggling..for : 'her-jie\v hold:in a'world'which-seemedmelted _ : like;,laya'.^.^This, li Franco' in; an activity in •scieMce-.stiefi as ihad f n'ever//been.^oep/,bof6rfl t .iat';leasli'--in!'. I '' l aturaL . history/' It.was V'tlme"also of,singular! a<>' j. tivity in another,,greatv.regioii- of thought", ■: mystical theology. What,: was':Lamarck's'.doc-. I trine?. He tauglitjv.as;Darwin did.later,;that i- all-animals and plants had.cpmo to their prej. sent forms by descent and 3 - "he attributed- v their-' differentiation',-their 1 special shaping",' "tb three 'principal causes: i firsty!.tb!o'direct--:effcc'fc :of:-thV-.conditions .of, 3;; lifo-^-theK'cburitryj'-or';the' sea,' thb s ,trees;;the - air/ heat, cold, moisture, drought, rocky, soil - or,deep;'scarcityj'.plenty,-: ciinflict, and■ ;re- ; pose. '.'Remember the direct effect, fbrlall.'be-; lieve that in. one way or" another these-con- ;: 'ditions affect'the-lives and forms' of animals ; and;plants,;'.';.;;." X.;': : ';;-''.: -.-.'•.'■.'.- ';'■ ■•'.-.',-■'.,.:; V;■' : ." ;■' i, : 'b. Lamarck's -.Second''forming'.;: forcei'':.is'';vthe c, crossing ,pf strains;:' a; factor'now" ; sb v ,bbth'",!Weis- "■' inariii'Jand'.Batesbn.': - r ;^ : '-'.'-"'-' : ':'?']. ,>-;';'; ;..;.'.".;. '."•Tho',tliir'd;iniluen(;e ; - is, thttt:;.to'. whibli-'.-the ' ■riam'6;;bf';L?mai , c!j;is;'most-specially^attached; ?|t is,;;..the-;Ms6'and,;''tUsusi3r'bf;the."organism ", and.it's."different' parts.s\'Lanlarck attributed "the. greatest' importance tb'' this';... Her tiught '' .jiha't-'-the effects of ; exercise;and; 'of effort 'are j; inherited,- and so. through .a series of genefL atiqns,:. accumulated in;tho. descendant; so y : tliat. slight differences; ,made. by effort, as the 5 effort/.of 'somo; primitiveiirregulate. to; : reaoh j tHeboughsbf; trees for food,: being accumuj lated .through ■. many ■. generations, < result ■■ in . that, abnormally: long neck and sloping back, and 'extraordinary : prehensile : -tongue . which •'. arecharactoristic -of the .giraffe..and .make ■-. him , what'; he'/is.-V This- is the greatest.of.:tho i ■"Lamarcliian.factors,!'-..-of.which.! you , , nave Q often read. -i;)-'.,- : C: ■•'.'• ; ..-. ; ; , ' : -.': i, ■:>.■■. J ,;';And;it -is,this which is almost',...but;.not f; quite," the foundation of Herbert Spencer's t ."Pririciples,of;Biology.''.^ Hβ .bclievedi, like - Lamarck,:'in-'-'direct,effect;".-in ''.use,effect." : •He:was'hot."a"Darwinian,'v.fpr,;.thpughvD.airwin J "allowed'■•jaV'stare^pj-'-. these';.'facto : rs/ ; ;,it-..'rwas ; -.'.& f ;sman.share..:-Natural selection is.ior;l)arwin i 'the great guiding; factor.';.- '':';•■] ; ■:%':.l-? i /If. is 'iworth'. remenibering ~ that:- Spencer; 1 •though." : an.;..evolutionist, is not a. Darwinist. ?. In his,;lifetime.he was,."among)'evolutionists, ?' the -.most /important of ,- the ■ opponents' of i; ;Darw'in...-.;"'.;') .-J'. ; .--•''/<:•.'; ;;- ; -.;'.■- ■,-:\ '■-.'■; ':■'■'s \ /:j)"-'v' ; v f ;--.;:; ' Natural Seledtlori/ .■;,;; '';-.v;; v . I ■ If • evolution is; not Darwin's special, or a original, contribution '•.to': -pur view-of the 1; j world,' what : is ? His special . contribution is I 1 the -theory; of; natural .selection, ;the.Vguide 11 of evplution, the .explanation' of adaptations. .! Even in : this, , his.- speoial |doctririe,.;he is-na-i turally not. without forerunners. Darwin's t preface to the seventh edition of "The Origin y. of, Species"- is the best- introduction to : these r .forerunners; : for he iwas always -a zealous': der- fender .of .other , .-men's fame.'; He. gives us ,'-.-.there.a: quotation from Aristotle, which shows -'; : in outline'the. ebneeption'"of-natfti-al seleotipii-, ■i ;'and;fuir.re'fefences't.o: tw"b,'remarkable pub- . 'lioa|ipnsj:'by/Pr;":W. 'in;'1813;-.arid \ I Mr.;)M^theW:.inaß3l>;' , W;e all- know; how ; •.AVallabe,'st'ill-living;ifpund.independently the same .."doctrine," and "published 1 a .paper side j by. ;side with Darwin's ..in .1858. : ; But. this ■ matter, requires ( ' more.- careful .explanation j than wol can.)now give. from tlio- materials which" , Wallace's' zeal for)' Darwin's ■'-' renown " has .'given .us. - . ■;.' :•';,. '.'■; ''!'■'.'■['■'.■.';.':, j. '; Darwin , taught ttat. the guidance of evolu-. _] tipn/.was-.'to be found .not, principally in'.the direct effect of .circumstances, but upon their; ' '"sorting , . , , or selective effect.-.,, Adaptations; j he.seeinedto see, came to exist'by a process j. of elimination, the elimination-. of the' unfit, •• so .that; tlio ■ fit, the adapted, , survivo.): ■'. Ho l. observed tho immense excess of bffspring^prp.du'eed" by plants ..and animals.'.; Hβ: observed that; the .offspring differed individually, in J- slight degree's: He believed that .this" excess , and ."this flight variation ,were universal", or' ■' very general. He saw thatby reason : of tlie .excess there must be competition or. struggle y "between the'individuals—struggle-v.fpr, : ithe I same food, tho same.prey;,'tho same.places. : of safety; .'competition :.)aniong. the weak; to " eScape'.the preying .struggle arid 5 ' cbmpotition. of- all And furtherj ,'.tha't , in the struggle those .must survivo who were . most /fitted to surviv.e, under 'the particular stress of..their _ case; tlio -fiercest,- swiftest {; lion, tho bost.hidden- hunter,-.the,best hidden. quan'yi)tlie swiftest in pursuit, the swiftest- ]' in flight, tho strongest to obtain food,;or the ! one best fitted to go without, food for long \ periods. •: In-all-cases tho'survival of tho i fittest,to survive is what.'we believe;in;: and , ~ w<3 seb, iiiider Darwin's "teaching, how there

would be , different .ways of surviving, and I consequently different forms .of /Survivors, * different sorts.of fittest, .. ." :; : : . ■".'.•;'.'.'Aristotle's Theory. V-'. ■"■ I .have"said enough to (distinguish Darwin's . doctrinb from that of Lamarck, and I will 0 only add. now. those words from .Aristotle 1 which seem remarkably to anticipate the • ;'■ general Hues of tho theory. /,. ' ..'> : :]'.:,.'■■ [\ 1 . Aristotle'says: "Wheresoever all the,parts n : of a: whole ; (that is of one organism) hayo ■: come to be in a form which : Buggests: that .'■ they were made' for the sake of some: pur-; r ,\pose, these parts were preoe-red..;. Having" j ■' been■' appropriately formed: (or fitted).by. an . e i internal spontaneity ; and whatsoever.things j ( i .were not .thus' suited; perished ; and still B v perish.".'. \'. Y ■•".". .'.'.'...••i •':'. ..'■ ; :■.■-■■■':-. t I ; That is'lo. say; ,p, find■'.adaptations, we, 0 : find things, suited to their work, because, if; t ; they are: not. suited \they perish,-and, there-' r ■ foro,. arenot-there for.us to ;find., v : ; "■', : :,:: j ; , ; . This.is something, like, an .outline' of the j •; system of;adaptation by. survival, of the. fit-. s ;'. test, .by -the struggle for existence, or, : as' 0 ! Darwin said, by:natural.selection, "-.'Why :ho .'.; ■ called, it especially/naturalselection, I":must, V : > if necessary,; show further, next time; and it ';' I must also be;at some: : other timeVthat we. ~ -. consider aud criticise, that distinction which' ■; 1. seems to. be in Aristotle's..words.: arid .those :. ■; of later;naturalists between s a moulding .pur- ; pose and an. inward, ; outward "thrusting . -. spontaneity.•': We.oan'only it , is a ■.'• i .contrast'(.-or .':divorce which is I invalid" for; , ! Christian •philosophers,"and I ;think;' fpr. all. ■? - other) modern■ philosophers. ;\But iri. ; ".this. ; ; view, we .owe , something' to the of, j 1 Darwin's teaching itself, 'and so it. must" { v engage bur attention, later; "• Looking, back,, j t' it seems;, to.'me/that /the naturalist wlio.at ~' 3 that; time spoke; most philosophically/was. ■* i Richard Owen,y a'man neglected now,- and j 3 strangely ;'misunderstbpd'.vt.-am; inclined '..'to, i. think,, even ■] 1 elements/in the caserwhich.'E-eyerlp.pk;;. 'V^;;:;' >"• .'::';•..'..';"■; :'.' : - ■:'■' Owen's Axiom./ ; .; i : j [• :■; Certainly .to .a',-'modern ..Christian':'Evohi- , 1 i' : tionist and Darwinian there would be.-noth- i f ing unwelcome .in Owenls "axiom of.thexon-. ; , tinuous operation: of creative, power/'or-'of- i i'. the ordained becoming of liyiiig- , things." He_ S :■ says further'of:certain'..phenomena , 'tha V.'the.v .< . "shake our- confidence , ' inftKe'co'nclusion-thaf . the Apteryx; of ."New Zealand' 1 S'rid;. the -'Red' .- _. Grouse of JEnglahd 'wereT. distinct creations .in ': andfOr thpsoisknds. respectively.'. 1 :■! [-.'■'', . j. ;.■::'.Yet'on' accpiint.of-these statements, Darj win "included.:.- Professor .Owen/ with; other i i , Palaeontologists as being'.firmly cdnyinced of i J- , . the , immutability._6f species," and he'reports. ;'i . .his.'strange conclusibn with;a.naive"expres.-; i .: siori of surprisevat'leaniing thaVhis.:.opiniot) i of, Owen ..was 'mistaken,' '•'Our jsurpnse , ' Trill'' j !.• rather be'that he could'have'made :the 'mis-'! '1 «■ >ke;';;-.: :.■:; C :: , .; Darwin taught/^olution'i''lVdesMn(i'r;:.%i{h : ' k modificatipri, and.in.."this; ! hoihad'many',"Sßut. :■ V? noiV^many.Wsiiccossfuli^predeceßSofjs. / '\:';He; ' '"■ taught .natural.;selection,' ;that ris'the;'gu'id-- - , ance:. of evolution, not by.'the' '• of-the conditions of. lifei".but: by;, their-'seleiir. : . . tive effect;'that is -,the,elimination of-those-.' g- mdividuals-::which v 'were iri ; .fany: : ' ? .favourably differentiated, , ! :and '-the: survival'" > j. of itlie'-fittestj'Vtlat'iisj-thto'/iiutTiyal-W'SEySjf::' ' g., test;to'survive.-.Y/ : : . ; ■•..;'V; i ;;'; i '-"-' ,■-.'>-, s< 'i^''^'.'. ':'