Porno 77 P

11

THE

HISTORY OF CREATION

OR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EARTH AND ITS
INHABITANTS BY THE ACTION OF NATURAL CAUSES

THE DOCTRINE OF EVOLUTION IN GENERAL, AND OF THAT OF

LIXACRE PROFESSOR OF HUMAN AND COMPARATIVE ANATOMY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

FELLOW OF MERTON COLLEGE, AND HONORARY FELLOW OF EXETER COLLEGE

IN TWO VOLUMES.-VOL. I.

FOURTH EDITION

LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO., LTD

PATERNOSTER HOUSE, CHARING CROSS ROAD

1892

CONTENTS OF VOL. I.

CHAPTER I.

NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE OF

FILIATION, OR DESCENT THEORY,

PAGE

General Importance and Essential Nature of the Theory of Descent

as reformed by Darwin.-Its Special Importance to Biology

(Zoology and Botany). -Its Special Importance to the History

of the Natural Development of the Human Race.—The Theory

of Descent as the Non-Miraculous History of Creation.-Idea of

Creation.—Knowledge and Belief.--History of Creation and His.

tory of Development. The Connection between the History of

Individual and Palæontological Development. The Theory of

Purposelessness, or the Science of Rudimentary Organs.-Useless

and Superfluous Arrangements in Organisms.-- Contrast between

the two entirely opposed Views of Nature : the Monistio (me.

chanical, causal) and the Dualistic (teleological, vital).- Proof of

the former by the Theory of Descent.—Unity of Organic and

Inorganic Nature, and the Identity of the Active Causes in both.

-The Absolute Importance of the Theory of Descent to the Monistic

Conception of all Nature

1

PAGE

and of Human Knowledge in general.--All Knowledge founded

originally on Sensuous Experience, à posteriori.—Trapsition of à

à

posteriori Knowledge, by Inheritance, into à priori Knowledge.-

Contrast between the Supernatural Hypotheses of the Creation

according to Linnæus, Cuvier, Agassiz, and the Natural Theories

of Development according to Lamarck, Goethe, and Darwin.-

Connection of the former with the Monistic (mechanical), of the

latter with the Dualistic Conception of the Universe.- Monism

and Materialism.–Scientific and Moral Materialism.-The History

of Creation according to Moses.- Linnæus as the Founder of the

Systematic Description of Nature and Distinction of Species.-

Linnæus' Classification and Binary Nomenclature.-- Meaning of

Linnæus' Idea of Species.-His History of Creation.—Linnæus'

View of the Origin of Species ...

25

CHAPTER III.

THE HISTORY OF CREATION ACCORDING TO CUVIER

AND AGASSIZ.

General Theoretical Meaning of the Idea of Species.-Distinction

between the Theoretical and Practical Definition of the Idea of

Species.-Cavier's Definition of Species.—Merits of Cuvier as the

Founder of Comparative Anatomy.-Distinction of the Four

Principal Forms (types or branches) of the Animal Kingdom, by

Cuvier and Bär.-Cuvier's Services to Palæontology.-His Hypo.

thesis of the Revolutions of our Globe, and the Epochs of Creation

separated by them.- Unknown Supernatural Causes of the Revo.

lations, and the subsequent New Creations.—Agassiz's Teleological

System of Nature.--His Conception of the Plan of Creation, and

its six Categories (groups in classification). -Agassiz's Views of

the Creation of Species.—Rude Conception of the Creator as a

man-like being in Agassiz's Hypothesis of Creation.—Its internal

Inconsistency and Contradictions with the important Palæonto-

logical Laws discovered by Agassiz ...

49

CHAPTER IV.

THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT ACCORDING TO GOETHE

AND OKEN.

Scientific Insufficiency of all Conceptions of a Creation of Individual

Species.-Necessity of the Counter-Theories of Development.-

Historical Survey of the Most Important Theories of Development.