Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-14
PROF. LIE coNTE'S LECTURE.
Contrasts Between Material Evolution
and Human Progress.

Contrasts Between Material Evolution
and Human Progress.
Prof. Joseph lie Conte delivered his
final lecture in this city before large
audience in the Unity church last night.
Some contrasts between Material Evolu-
tion and Human Progress was the title
of the lecture. The change of pro-
gramme from the ice age to the talk on
evolution doubtless helped to bring out
the large attendance of last evening.
The talk differed in all respects from
any of the past course and was listened
to with deep thoughts. The subject
was exceedingly abstruse, but the audi
ence WAS never hopelessly involved, for
whenever a complicated idea was
reached the speaker always explained
it clearly.
There are two theories of evolution,
the old and the new. In the first, man
was remote from animal life, and
the distance between him and the high
est brute was far greater than the dis
tance between the highest brute and the
lowest form of life. The new theory
Gays that he is connected with nature,
and that all of his movements have par
allels in animal life. 1t has been truly
said that both of these theories are
right and wrong also; right in their res
pective point Of vision, but wrong in ex-
cluding the other. The right one will be
found in a comprehensive view. True
philosophy does not, however, consist OF
compromise, but rather of blending
of ideas and the directing them to an
ideal end. But more comprehensive
and more ideal man could be found in
his own theory.
The epirit of man was originally in
embryo in the womb of nature, uncon-
scious of itself through many of the
fret epochs of evolution, but finally was
born and reached it's end or goal in
man. This completely explains as does
no other theory the closeness of nature
to human progress. 1t shows the social
spirit and the animal life-social prog
ress and animal evolution. There is a
close yet infinite relation in human
progress to organic evolution, as has
been pointed out by the writers of the
present day. Organic evolution ope.
rates by necessary law, human devel-
opment by free law. The first is
pushed upward from behind; the sec-
ond is drawn from above. In organic
evolution the weak, the sick, the old
and the helpless all perish, and ought
to perish, because it is the only way to
strengthen the blood OF the race and to
carry forward it's evolution. In human
progress they are and ought to be Gus.
tanned, but in all of our attempts to
help the sick, however, we should be
careful not to weaken the blood of the
race.
Again, in organic evolution the bodily
form and structure must continually
change. for only by general change Of
form can itprogress. In human progress
man modifes the environments so as tc
bring them in line with himself, Not
by an antagonistic struggle, but by 6
pursuit of the highestideal.
With organic evolution, from the first
stage up to to the present ideal man,
the progress has been in straight line
and any diversion from it has been fatal
With human development, while it MAJ
be hard, still it is not impossible to re
turn to the path again, because our vol
untary ideas or actions are the chic
| factors.
Natural selection was treated briefly
and if the engagements of Wiseman ant
Wallace on Darwin's theory are correct
this mode is impossible in human pro
gress, though it may be possible in or
ganic evolution.
1t is plain that one cannot raise low
race to higher plane in one generation
but all of our hopes for the elevation o
the race can be realized only in a grad
usl improvement by each successiv,
| generation