Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-17
Professor Dana on Evolution
THE VIEWS WHICH HE PRESENTS IN his COLLEGE

THE VIEWS WHICH HE PRESENTS IN his COLLEGE
LECTURES
Professor James ID. Dana. of Yale College,
sends letter to the Independent explaining
his views on evolution as taught in his college
lectures. In the course OF the letter, he says:
=" My conclusion as to the chief point-whe-
Their evolution went forward by natural causes,
or by divine flats partly or wholly-as brought
out in the last lecture OF the course, Is, in
means of change and progress by which 1t is
supposed species may have been made from
species and the systems OF life evolved are not
explained by any facts thus far ascertained or
causes has yet been proved to be adequate for
the results; that the insufciency OF all environ
mentS and environment conditions without
some pTofounder means, Is manifest; that the
theory OF natural selection is a theory OF selec-
tons. and not OF the origin Of species, and that
the selective breeding exemplif1ed In man.
which 1t appeals to as its fundamental prin-
ciple, can rarely take place under natural con-
ditions.
" but. after saying that to me the causes
and conditions appealed to seem inadequate 1,
nevertheless admit that, however in
adequate the known agencies of change may
seem to be, 1t is altogether probable that there
have been natural causes at work; which We're
sufficient for the development of the systems Of
life so far that there were few occasions for d.
vine intervention.
81 further endeavor to show that mans ply
steal nature, as well as his spiritual, was not
product or educt OF evolutionary processes; but
that it demanded for its creation divine act,
d..
fact that the brain of the lowest race of men
has twice the cubic contents of the highest
manape; to the fact, further, that the skeleton
of man is adapted throughout for vertical po-
sition, and that of the apef for a horizontal or
lrclined. and that geology has discovered no
human remains in the rocks that indicate a
lower grade of man than now exists or one
that makes the first shade of approximation to
the inclined structure of the ape, and also to
the existence of a moral sense, etc.-all show
ing that some other power than Natures was
required for mans existence
g also argue that the facts from science
thus far ascertained sustain strongly the view
that the introduction Of life on the globe de-
manded divine Intervention, and that there may
have been divine intervention, for all that
science has to say on the subject, in other
eases In the grand system of progress.
81 observe, further, that creation Of species
by divine flats does not necessarily imply
creation out Of dead matter; but that creation
of species from species would be as strictly
creation by divine act, and Of the two meth
DDS the latter would be, most probably. the true
one. in view OF the economy Of action under
Gods laws 49,
LAS to my belief that the primary forms of
animals out OF which the several great classes
were developed were determined by the pecu-
liar molecular construction Of matter which
favored the germ of one class or OF another
the Specification and significance are not pre-
cisely what would be inferred by the reader of
these words In the independent. 1t is my be-
lief that ali results and conditions are reached
through or In concurrence with molecular law;
tuc QlutlcuCco III StlllS, lSdlluS W Illtlf
different modes Of evolution and different adult
forms, are some way expressed in their mole
cular constitution. But, with me, this is
wholly independent of the question whether
evolution was carried forward by successive
divine acts, or by natural causes, after an mi
tial fiat. Molecular law Is law by divine act;
and in conformity to that law and through 1t
creation, whether by fiat or by natural growth,
must have taken place. The great lines OF
progress in the systems of l1fe indicated by the
division of classes orders, ETC., l believe to
have had their foundation fixed in molecular
law. under the divine will; and not to be pro-
The theories Of evolution which make progress
mere transformfSm, as 1t has been designated,
or a direct result of the pulling, shaping. or
transforming action of environments, l regard
as based on superficial view of nature. hold
that in evolution there was truly an evolving;
that beneath are molecular and physiological
laws whose action, external conditions or the
environments were able to modify, but not to
control. And may say further that it Is my
confiding belief that all law is law by divine
appointment, for divine purpose, and that all
force is the eyer-active divine will.
'Finally, close my lectures by an exposi-
ton, from scientific point Of view, of the first
chapter OF Genesis, and present the conclusion
have long held, that the two recordS-the
earlier revelation and the later, Nature and
the Bible-are one in their enunciationS of the
history OF creation; that they both contain con-
ceptiOnS infinitely beyond the reach of the hui
man intellect and bear alike evidence of their
divine origin. The modification which has
taken place In my views as to evolution has
not been attended by any weakening of my
faith in the Christian religion or change Of
nnin q c n Ire