New-York tribune., 1876-10-14
THE LOGIC OF HUXLEY.
LETTER FROM DIR. w. NJ. TAYLOR.


To me Editor or The Tribune
SIR viii you grant me portion of your space for
an examination of the logic of Prof. Huxley as that
comes ont in the lectures recently delivered by him
in this oityi As a layman in science | might have
some delicacy in ventuTing into that domain which
he and his ccadjutOrs Lave made peculiarly their
own, but logic is the same IN its application to every
department of inquiry and fallacy or an assump-
tOn in the reason of man of science may be de-
tected and exposed by one who is obliged, as am,
TO take trust the facts which the argument is
alleged to be founded.
Let it be understood then that have no fault to
find with Mr. Huxley dscoverer of facts or ny
an exponent of comparative anatomy. In both of
these respects he is beyond all praise of mine, and
am ready to sit at his feet but when he begins TO
reason from the facts which he sets forth then, like
every other reasoner he is amcnable to the laws of
augmentation, and his conclusions to be tested
by the relation which they bear to the premises
which he has advanced, and by the proof which he
furnishes for the premises themselves.
NO PREJUDICE AGAINST EVOLUTION.
Let me say also that have prejudice against
evolution, if that shall ever lie fairly and fully es
tablished believe that it may be held III harmony
with thesm, and with sincere acceptance of the
Word of God; and am disciple of one who has
taught in all things, and at every hazard, to fol-
low truth; and the Gospel which | believe aud
preach leads me to say with John Locke, that am
"morc concerned to quit and renounce any opinion
Of my own than oppose that of another, when truth
appears against it; for tits truth alone seek and
that will always be welcome 10 me- when or whence
soever it comcsp But then it must be clearly proved
to be the truth. and it is in the proof that Prof.
Huxley has advanced that the weakness Of his case
appears.
He ara mainly aimed In his third
lecture but before proceeding to consider them 1t
may be convenient to offer one or two structures on
some statements made by him in the first and second.
He begins with enumeratlng three hypOtheses re-
harding the order of nature. These the eternity
Of things as they are the Mtonc theory or the Gre
n, ion of the wordn six natural days. and the theoryof
evolution. which finds IN gclatinous mass the com
mon foundation of all life. These, he says $50 far
~ lac knows, are the only three views lie does not
aIlcgc in 50 many woIds that they the only pos
sble theories on the subject but he reasons Hs If
they were, and evidently wishes us 20 conclude that
the elimination of the former tSo establishes the
third Bat as the force Of n dilemma - destroyed
when third alternative equally explanatory OF
the facts is advanced, the concIusycness Of m
lcnma is nulliied when fourth hypothesis equally
adapted 10 meet the case Is set forth No" there arc
NAM among us who cannot accept any one Of the
in creation in series; aud there others who are
almost prepared to accept evolution, provided it be
mt forth as an explanation of the mode in which
presiding intelligence has brought things they are
into ,yistece This being the case lis classification
is defective aud the force which hs first lecture
designed o. have IN the war of Gearing the ground
of everything but evolution is completely neutral
ized.
Iu,xIrY'S ANnfUs AGhINrT CREATION.
But besides tls logical biemsh. have to COM
PLAN OF very mplhio,orhlcal bias which every
where appears IN his treatment of the idea OF crea-
tiou. I!r seems 20 Pc s,udousy iar and one is apt
,o be- imposed upol by the show of candor wnch lie
affects uuil lc eos lencath the surface. and then
he rcrccycs that beneath the vail of iair-soundue
words he hides the most cynical of snecrs. IhGs
hrfayg: "Though We are quite clear about the
cons fancy II nature at the present time and IN tine
present order of things, il by no means follows
necessarily tia. we are justified III expanding TINS
generalization into the past, AID ~ DENYING ah'o-
luteIy that there may have been a time when cvi-
d.ncc qu.rv. events did not follow first query
fixed p ori rhcl the rcidioHs Of c1H'c anil Ceci rol
not drod cEd dfpc ami rbcn ccrnii agenci', dd rot
nicrrcnc in hc lra0oi 0,dr Of nature Cautious men
trN i,aii nat stci a change "a hc ord Of Mature mag
hare I,ea possible jgst e"ay candid hirker riH at
mil that hcf ldg be- Il wc,M ia rlich iro ant tUo do
uof MAKE to and n trirh tCO siGigH EpCs oo iaci0e
q .ydce7 Now it is dinicult 10 charact'uzc th'
languag, witLout using stronger words than c""r-
,.,,,,,l, s,,cti,u. Bar what are we To- say when
. ,,,, cl;,,,ry =, he a philosopher afIirms mo- not
oir,,s for II h, had said il out plainly we should
boyo had more respect for Lin. hut let me say
,,l., n.;pu,tc.l that to allcgc that the universe
,ga.,ro,t, f.. ,iruolly 70 declare that there was a
,;,, ,,.L.n IN. ,ratjou. Of cause and fleet wcr,
''"', -, .,.a,,i,," ,s II tbcr. cou,d be- any
/