The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-23
Mivnrt's Lessons from Nature.

omy ana biology ST. GEOHCE MIVAHT mas
earned considerable reputation. Moreover, in
an age when Huxley and Tyndal have impaired
TO scientific exposition a lusiditv and grace
which had hitherto been mopopollzed by French
writers, he has evinccd remarkabie ability In the
effective arrange meDt and presentation OF facts,
as well as in the evolution OF arRume mt. aud has
thus acquired not "A little influence over the gem
eral body OF readers. II Is commonly safe TO
assume that men who write luminousy must
think clearly, and therefore in the latest work
OF this author-Lcssons from Nature ~ Mdnt-
fested IN Mind dnd Matter (Appetons)-it was
reasonable to anticipate contribution Of some
yalu., II not to the materials at least to the
egcsis Of induc,ivc science. We are bound to say
that our expectations have been disappointed,
that the spirit OF this book Is not philosophic but
potential, aud that the so-cslled lessons are not
simple dispassonate differences from natural
phenomena, but so many vehement assaults
upon the foremost living opponents of the in
dIctive method, and so many indictments Of
tue sterling work accomplished during the last
decade In the study of the material world.
The attitude Of incorporating hostility al
most OF rnncor, which Mvart has here assumed
toward all those eminent mon whose services
to exploration and methodology are accus-
toned to think OF capital importanoe-to OAR
win, Wallace, Huxley Tyndan, Cation, Lub-
I
Comte. Mil, SPENCER, Lewes lis the more sur
prisng by contrast with his antecedent position.
Ia his previous book, the " Genesis Of Species"
while dissenting from Darwlns hypothesis OF
natural and sexual selection, he had avowed
himself In perfect accord with the fundamental
principles Of evolution. Yet this book, while
II purports to be an arragnment Of the so called
Agnostlcs, or those who decline to waste scien-
TITO investigation upon fields where knowledge
is asserted to be impossible II specially aimed
at the evolutiOnists. When, moreover, we ind
an attempt made to dspTove theories which
claim g. interpret or connect facts. not by coun-
ter facts, but by reference t. their supposed
ethical or social consequences we cannot won
der that this volume shoIid be stiematized In
some quarters rs put forward In the interest 81
Catholic orthodoxy and therefore wanting the
essential basis aud aim OF q scientific treatise.
And when we call to mind the prolonged and
strenuous opposition OF PaDal ecclesiastics to
the Copernican theory OF tue solar system, tho
doctrine OF a plurality OF worlds, the NewtOnian
view OF the universe, the nebulnr hypothesis,
and the chronology Of modern geologists, and
reflect that the writings OF every English scien-
tlst now living, with the possible exception Of
Mr.. Mvart himself are included In the Index
Expurgatorius, It must be conf .ssed that he
dedication Of this hook to conspicuous Ro-
man Catholic divine furnishes a somcwhl 1t ques-
tioua6e augury Of It's spirit and achievement
II we disregard four OF nve chapters which
are purely controversial, and mainly occupied
with rcplicatons 20 some Of the authors critics,
Lessons from ,ture," can hardly be said to
deal at all with the topics Of physical science.
Its scope and purpose arc psychological. MIR.
Mivart designs to overthrow the so-cAlied " phi
losophy Of nescionce," or tue doctrine that
nothing save appearances can be absolutely
known, and to substitute for Il system which
pos,ulates the direct, veracious apprehension OF
the non-e9o as a substantive existence. Accord
inely, the initial proposition which lie aims to
establish. afiirms our own continued existence
10 be primary truth, naturally made known TO
us with supreme certainty, and this gertrude
cannot he impugned without involving the de-
structiou Of all knowledge whatever. His next
step Is to maintain. IN didmetrical opposition TO
most scientific thinkers. that all knowledge, IA
well OF matter AS Of mind, must be based on the
study Of mental facts, aud ON unlem Onstrabe
truths which decl re IN air own bsolate certain
~. ana are seen by the mind 10 be positively aud
necess .rily true. Finally, after discussing at
some length what he calls MIR. Spenc1rs " trans.
figured realism )" together with the kindred
views of Lewes and Mil, he COMPLETES the
groundwork Of his philosophy with the avcsment
that the Ioal existence Of an external world
made up Of objects possessing qualities such a.
our faculties declare to Us they do possess
cannot be lily denied, and may nationally
be .fsmed.
In the superstructure reared upon these pos
tulates, two or three features may be sisnaized
which will probably indie 4te the writer's PR.
mary OBJECT In the composition of TINS bO ,k
Mr. Mivart holds that rational ltncu lge is a bond
II connection between the IN ntol ana maieril a
worlds which Is absolutely peculiar 10 man an
further, that perceptions OF right AMI wrong, ana
u our power OF choice and consequent Il. pom
sioili:y. are universally didIsed am ong mankind
and constitute an absolute character separating
man from all other animals. supplemen,ing
the inference thus drawn from the existence Of
language and "a moral perception, the study Of
religious beliefs, OF progress or degrad. ton, and
OF the community Of nature found In the most
diverse races Of men likewise shows, IN our au-
thor's opinion, that man differs fund mentally
from brutes while the anatomical resemblAnces
to ANIMALS which his frame exailits In TO way
invalIdte the argument drawn from the study
Of mind, that his origin, Ike his nature l. Pc
cu..ar and distinct. We may add th.t. Respect
INK instinct In animals aud the alleged shading
u that faculty into reason. he decislvey joins
issue with Darwin. Miyart thinks Tia the high
est psyohcal powers OF animals resemble tho
low yer psSchcAl faculties OF man, but that the
brute Is devoid OF reason, instinct being pc.
Guitar function OF the material org lnism, auto
matte and blind.
II Is Of course impossible in the compass Of
brief article to follow the argument 10y which
MI Nivart seeks 10 recommend the views ABOVE
outlined. At the same time 1t is sc freely seem
IL to speak decsiyeiy OF Il work which purp1rts
to offer chain Of reasoning, witho Il quoting At
sufficient length to enable tue author to be
heard on his own behalf. Yet while referring
tho reader to the book isel', with the assur nee
that abundant evidence Of acuteness. and even
certain parade Of logic await him, We may state
that tho writer's dexterity seems to US moro re-
markable than his candor, and that those con.
lroyersial weapons known 40 the sUp!JressiO ueri
and sltg0cstiO fdLst are not seldom turned 10 ao-
count. \ glance at one or two OF the later
chapters, IN which certain conclusions of Oar
win aud Huxley are combated, may suffice to
Indicate the characteristic tone in which these
" lessons" are inculcated, as well as the degree
OF positive value which fair-minded and
thoughtful men are likely TO assign them.
Mr. Niyart afflrms that tho hypothesis OF
natural selection originally put forward as the
origin OF species has been really abandoned by
Mr.. Darwin himself The latter had said In tho