The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-11
SOME NEW hooks.
Exolution and Immortality.


dence for the doctrine Of evolution. To the
general reader. who. perhaps, may have
neither tho training nor the time requisite for
following technical discussion Of tho subject.
II has become matter Of deep interest to learn
che practical outcome OF the movement 10
which we have referred. Has II shaken the
foundations of tho evolutionary hypothesis. or
has It. at all events. affected the materialistlc
implications popularity ascrbed to the theory 2
To answer these questions is the aim OF new
and much enlarged edition Of the book en-
titled Eroiuion and is Relation 10 Religious
Thought by JOSEPH liz CoNTE Professor Of B.
ology and Natural History in the University
Of California. In this revision of his work
tho author has devoted chapter to
tho consideration Of the factors OF evolution.
their number and relative Importance. and to
an examination Of the position taken by the
Neo-Darwinsts. including conspicuously Prof.
Weismann. Next. in immediate connection
with tho specific purpose Of his book, tho
author proceeds to discuss some fundamental
religious questions upon which he did not
touch at all in his first edition. Such arc tho
topics OF first and second causes. OF general
and special providence. OF the natural and SUI
pernatural. OF mind va. mechanics in nature.
and OF the mode OF creation. Tho only other
important additions are concerned with the
relation Of man to nature and the relation Of
evolution to Christianity. In the present no.
tce we shall first glance Mt what the author
has To say regarding the Neo- Darwinists and
tho proposed regarding Of tho factors OF evolu-
tion. and then pass directly to his view Of the
origin and destiny OF mans spirit. From tho
relation of man to nature one would proceed
by n natural transition to tho relation OF God
to man. but for what the author has to say
upon tho latter subject wo must refer the
reader to the book ITSELF
What arc the factors of evolution and what
is the relative Importance Of their respective
contributions? What may be termed the or
thodox Darwirians. including prominently
Darwin himself and Mr.. Herbert Spencer.
recognize two I.amarckiun factors. namely.
the pressure of the environment and the use
and disuse OF parts. and two Dnrwinian fac
tors. to wit. natural selection and secular So
lection. The two great founders Of the theory
Of evolution. Darwin and Spencer differ main
ly regards tho relative importance OF the
two sets Of factors Spencer considering the
Lamarckian IA It ors the most potent and Dar-
win ascrbing the larger influence to the fac
tors associated with his name. Mr.. George j.
Romanes would add u fifth factor. which he
calls physiological selection. while Prof. LIE
sixth factor. viz. the interposltion of rea-
son where tho development of human beings
is concerned. Opposed to these upholders OF a
plurality OF factors are the Neo-Darwinists. at
whose head stand such distinguished biolo-
Rists as Wallace. Wcismann. and Lancaster.
The latter out-Darwin Darwin himself in
their exal.ation Of the most distinctive OAR
wnian factor natural selection. They aim to
show that natura! selection is the sole and
sufficient cause Of evolution: that changes in
tho individual. whether as effect ofthe environ
ment hr through use and disuse Of organs. are
not inherited at all: that Lamarck was wholly
wrong: that Darwin tin connection with Wal
lacel was tho sole founder of the true theory Of
evolution. and finally that Darwin himself was
wrong only in so far as lie made any terms
whatever with Lamarck.
Prof. Le Conte comedies that the reasons for
the Moo Darwinian view have been most
strongly put by Weismann. They are based
mainly on the Freiburg professors celebrated
theory OF the Immortality and immutability Of
germ-plasm. According to Weismann. the
animal body consists of two kinds Of cells.
wholly different in function. viz. somatic cells
and germ cells, the latter including both the
male and female sexual elements Somatic
cells-tho adjective is. Of course derived from
the Greek word soma. meaning body-are
specially modified for the various functions OF
thefndivldual body: germ cells are wholly un-
modified. Tho somatic cells are for the con-
servation OF the individual life. the germ cells
for the conservation of the species. In the de-
velopmcnt Of the egg tho germ cell multiplies
itself into cell aggregate. and then most
OF the resulting multitude of cells are
modified in various wavs to form the tissues
and organs OF the body. or. in other words,
somatic cells A few. on the other hand. are
reserved and put aside in an unmodiled form
in tho sexual organs as germ cells to again
produce ova which again divide into somatic
and germ coils. and 80 on indefinitely. Now.
according to wcismann. inheritance takes
place only through germ cells. while tho en-
vironmont affects exclusively the somatic
cells. Consequently. changes produced by the
environment cannot be inherited. Sexual
modes of generation were introduced for the
purpose OF producing variability in progeny.
and thus furnishing materials for natural
selection. as this was the only means Of evolu-
ttonary advance. II Is well known that Wcis-
mann made various experiments on animals.
especially by mutilaton. to show that somatic
changes are not Unbeatable.
The author of this book does not accent tho
conclusions Of thu Nco-Darwinists. He fol-
lows Spencer in affirming tho Inmarckian
factors to be true factors. because there was
u time when there wcro no others. They
wore therefore necessary Mt least to start the
process VI evolution. even II no longer neces-
sary at present. Ho goes on to argue that il
these factors were ever operative thcy must
be 80 still. though possibly in IA subordinate
degree. A lower factor Is not abolis shed. but
only becomes subordinate to Il higher when
the lattcr is introduced. Thus It may VOL be
that Lamarckian factors-thc pressure Of en-
vironment and the effect Of usa and dsuse--.
are comparatively feeble at the present TIME
and among living species. especially OF the
higher animals. and got not absent altogether.
In the earliest stages Of evolution there was a
complete Identification OF germ cells and
somatlc cells. OF tho individual with the spe-
ces; In such casos. of course. any effect OF |
Tho environment must have been inherited |
and Increased from generation tn generation.
Moreover. the differentiation Of tho germ and |
somatic cells was not effected all Mt once. nor |
IL their sympathetic relation even now COM
pletely severed. 1t was ~ gradual process.
and therefore the effect Of the environment on |
the germ cells through the somatic cells con-
tinued though in decreasing degree. and stili |
al, n.l.n .u lad hnr