Los Angeles herald., 1905-06-25
PROF. HAECKEL LECTURES ON
IMMORTALITY
KAISER STOPS NEW BUILDING
plsapproves Of Design for Bridge Sc
leeted by charlottenburg Town
Council and Insists on His
Own Choice
special Gable to The Herald.

Special CaDie 10 Inc Heralo
BERLIN, June A.-The greatest con-
temporary German scientist, Professor
Ernest Haeckel of the University OK
Jena, has been delivering a series Of
lectures in Berlin on science and re-
lgion. Professor Haeckel is the great
est German exponent of the Darwinian
theory of evolution, and his lectures
were strongly materialistic and athe-
istic in character.
1t is significant of the skepticism
prevalent in the German capital that
he was accorded enthusiastic ovations
by the great crowds assembled every
time he appeared on the platform Of
the largest hall in the city. The nature
of Professor Haeckels views on science
and religion is best shown by the fol-
lowing extracts from his lecture on the
descent of man:
ut is certain that man Is descended
from apes. 1t is only regarding the de-
tails of genealogy of the human race
that the opinions of scientists differ.
ut Is easy to understand that the
is unpleasant to many people. Man is
like the parvenu who resents all ref
erence to his obscure ancestors. Much
more is known about the descent Of
man than regarding the evolution Of
the lower animals. The opponents Of
the evolutionary theory of human de-
scent have been unable to prove that
1t is fallacious."
Denies Possession of Soul
Professor Haeckel then proceeded to
explain why he denies that man has
soul. He said:
1.-THE soul is supposed to have divine
origin. Those who believe this do not
explain why the Almighty decided to
create souls just at the time when man
appeared in the animal life of the
world. When those who believe in God
say, Man is the image of Cod we
must remind them on the contrary that
man has always conceived God ac-
cording to his own conceptions of the
ideal.
1.-The idea of Immortality was not
part of the Mosaic religion, but ap-
peared after the period of the Israel
ties exile. Plato and Aristotle intro
duced the theory of Immortality. What
Is known of mans soul is CONTAINED
in his cerebral matter. If the lowest
types of the human race are compared
with apes the conclusion is inevitable
that the difference between the human
soul and the soul of apes is matter
of quantity. The human soul and the
soul of apes are identical in character
Kaiser as an Architect
The difficulties encountered by the
architects entrusted with the designing
of the new buildings in Berlin are IL
lustrated by a case on which public
interest at present is centered. The
main road through Charlottenburg, an
important Berlin suburb, crosses the
canal and owing to the greatly in
creased traffic the bridge became to-
tally inadequate The town council,
therefore, built temporary bridge, and
invited designs for a substantial new
one. 1t now transpires that the de-
sign chosen by the Charlottenburg
town council does not find favor with
the kaiser, who has decided on another.
Until, therefore, the council, who of
course, are paymasters, accept his mai
esty's choice they must put up with
the temporary bridge, which 1T may be
mentioned. has now been six years in
use.