THE OLD RIDDLE AND THE NEWEST ANSWER
The Lord St. Alban would say to some philosophers—"Gentlemen, nature is a labyrinth, in which the very haste you move with, will make you lose your way."
Bacon, Apophthegms.
THE OLD RIDDLE
AND THE NEWEST
ANSWER
BY
JOHN GERARD, S.J., F.L.S.
FOURTH EDITION
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON,
NEW YORK, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA
1907
| [Preface] |
| [Preface To The Second Edition] |
| [Preface To The Third Edition] |
| [Contents] |
| [Appendix] |
| [Index] |
| [Footnotes] |
ROEHAMPTON:
PRINTED BY JOHN GRIFFIN.
PREFACE
THE enemies of Science are not the philistines alone—if any still remain—who would muzzle or stifle her. More numerous and dangerous are those—professedly of her own household—who ascribe to her pretensions of which she herself knows nothing, and strive to make her responsible for a philosophy entirely beyond her scope. With this object efforts are assiduously made to popularize the idea that nothing in heaven or earth is beyond her ken, and that she has rendered all such beliefs impossible as alone can satisfy the deeper cravings of humanity. At the same time the very brilliance of her achievements is apt to dazzle our eyes, blinding them to the extremely narrow limits of the field in which she can operate, and making us rush to the conclusion that she has solved the riddle which from the beginning of time Nature has offered to every thinking mind,—or at least that what her search-light cannot illumine must for ever remain unknowable.
How far such assumptions are rational, it is the object of the present enquiry to examine by means of the evidence furnished by Science herself in her own regard.
I have to thank Mr. W. E. Darwin for permission to use the illustration of feathers of the Argus Pheasant from his illustrious father's Descent of Man, and for the loan of blocks for the purpose. Through the courtesy of Messrs. Macmillan I am allowed to copy a portion of the plate in the late Professor Huxley's Lectures on Evolution, illustrating his pedigree of the Horse. If I forbear to mention others who have kindly supplied me with information, it is only lest it might be supposed that they are anywise responsible for the use I have made of it. The design on the cover of the present volume I owe to my friend Mr. Paul Woodroffe.
J. G.
March 10, 1904.
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
IN this edition, which has been thoroughly revised throughout, a few corrections have had to be made, especially in the Index, and in one or two instances alterations or additions have appeared advisable for the sake of clearness or accuracy of expression. Nothing has, however, as yet been brought to the author's notice which affects any substantial point in what he has written.
July 28, 1904.
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION
THIS edition has again been thoroughly revised, and some new matter appended which bears on various points raised in the original volume, especially the establishment of the important group of the Cycado-filices, as affecting the succession of plant life on the earth, and recent evidence concerning the pedigree of the horse.
December 21, 1906.
CONTENTS
| [CHAPTER I] To Begin at the Beginning | |
| Certainty that there was a Beginning of the World—Whatwas there before?—The Great Problem, to beanswered by Reason and Science | PAGES [1-3] |
| [CHAPTER II] Reason and Science | |
| Principles of Reasoning—Scope and method of Science | [4-7] |
| [CHAPTER III] Evolution | |
| Term variously used for a Process and a Principle. Wecommence with the latter | [8-9] |
| [CHAPTER IV] "The Law of Evolution" | |
| Evolution as a Philosophy—Main features of thesystem | [10-14] |
| [CHAPTER V] What is a "Law of Nature"? | |
| Erroneous use of the term frequent: its scientific use | [15-19] |
| [CHAPTER VI] "The Law of Substance" | |
| A combination of two other "Laws," viz.—The indestructibilityof Matter, and the Conservation ofEnergy—But there is also Dissipation of Energy—Consequencesinferred from this as to the Durationof the Universe | [20-28] |
| [CHAPTER VII] [{x}]"The Seven Enigmas" | |
| The "Law of Continuity"—Alleged breaches—Sevenevolutionary stages deduced to be scientificallyunexplained, or even inexplicable | [29-34] |
| [CHAPTER VIII] Matter and Motion | |
| Constitution and Properties of Matter inconsistent withHaeckel's evolutionary system—Also the Laws ofMotion—Radium and its revelations | [35-44] |
| [CHAPTER IX] The Problem of Life | |
| Evolution here considered as a process—In its largersense, postulates spontaneous generation—which, however, Science disallows—Protoplasm and Crystallization | [45-66] |
| [CHAPTER X] Animal and Man | |
| Origin of simple sensation and consciousness even lessexplicable than that of life—Gulf between manand the lower animals—Language exclusivelyhuman—The significance of Free-will can be impugnedonly by the absurdity of denying its existence | [67-85] |
| [CHAPTER XI] The Order of Nature | |
| The order of the Cosmos requires a Cause—No causeknown to us can produce such a result except Intelligence—Hencewe infer Purpose or Design andare led to Theism—Scientific evidence as to this, "the Grand Question" | [86-109] |
| [CHAPTER XII] Purpose and Chance | |
| What "Chance" means—It is the sole alternative toPurpose or Design—Arguments against PurposiveCreation—The Existence of Pain—The Mysteriesof Generation | [110-125] |
| [CHAPTER XIII] [{xi}]Monism | |
| The Monistic Philosophy—Its utter lack of a scientificbasis—Contradicted by the ideas of morality andtruth—Not really adopted by Monists themselves | [126-139] |
| [CHAPTER XIV] Organic Evolution | |
| "Evolution" now to be considered in its most restrictedsignification—Organic Evolution, or "Transformism," not identical with Darwinism—Thenature of the questions before us | [140-148] |
| [CHAPTER XV] Darwinism | |
| Though no essential part of our enquiry, Darwinismmust be studied on account of importance ascribedto it—Baseless claims on its behalf—True characterof the system—Natural Selection and its mode ofaction—Phenomena which seem to favour Darwinism—Difficultieson the other side—Limits ofVariation—Specific stability—Adverse probabilities—Naturalselection can produce nothing—Transitionaldevelopments useless or harmful—Artisticornaments unexplained—Flaws in argument—Organicprogress—Rudimentary Organs—Embryology—Scientificopinion as to Darwinism | [149-203] |
| [CHAPTER XVI] The Facts of Evolution | |
| Palæontology furnishes the only sound basis for argument—Thenature of the evidence required—Thehistory of Life as known to us is inconsistentwith evolutionary theories—Haeckel's "ante-periods"—Conclusionto which facts point | [204-238] |
| [CHAPTER XVII] [{xii}]"Audi Alteram Partem" | |
| Arguments on behalf of Evolution—The genealogy ofthe Horse—Haeckel's Pedigree of Man—Darwin'splea of imperfection of the geological record—Noevolutionary process is yet demonstrated; Still lesshas anything been done to establish Evolution as acreative force | [239-269] |
| [CHAPTER XVIII] To Sum Up | |
| Reason leads to conclusions which physical science cannotreach—The recognition of a First Cause beyond theSensible Universe an intellectual necessity—Knowledgeof this cause attainable by reason—Conclusion | [270-280] |
| [APPENDICES] | |
| A. Recent Scientific Verdicts concerning Darwinism and Transformism | [281] |
| B. Development of Plant life—the Cycadofilices | [284] |
| C. The Course of Evolution | [285] |
| D. The pedigree of the Horse: further evidence | [286] |
| [Index] | [289] |