will lead to a philosophy." His conception of the struggle
for life and of the natural selection of characteristics, so widely
adopted by the thinkers of his day, popularized the principles of
Lamarck as to the casual formation of new characteristics in a species
by adaptation to environment; Darwin's conception carried these
principles along with it--and almost fused them in its own content.
These principles, excluding both creation and its finalities,
implicitly denied the immortality of the soul. The effect of such a
revolution may be imagined; for many centuries the soul had been the
_object of life_, and when the fundamental faith of existence was
shaken, the life of the conscience itself was convulsed. It may be
supposed that there was an anxious search for contradictions in the
destructive theory, if on no other grounds than that of the instinct
to preserve ancient beliefs, which lies deeply rooted in the human
race.

But let us take into consideration the two revolutionary principles
which so greatly impressed and fired the consciousness of the
university students of several generations. One principle was: "There
can be no function without an organ." The other principle which
created much enthusiasm among studious youths was: "The function
creates the organ." What! There is no function without an organ, nor
can the function even _exist without_ the organ; and yet, on the other
hand, the function without the organ can exist so vigorously as to
_create_? No such glaring and tangible contradiction had ever existed
in any theory.

And it cannot be said that Darwinism and the principles of Lamarck
were hastily studied and confused in a varied series of philosophical
theories, for Darwinism had isolated itself as a victorious idea which
drives out all other ideas, as the light of day disperses the darkness
of night. And students dwelt upon it, anxious to construct a new
morality and a new conscience; therefore these two principles were not
studied coldly and languidly. Moreover, they _penetrated together_
into the consciousness and excited enthusiasm _each on its own
account_; on such a triumphant contradiction it was proposed to
destroy a world and create another.

The final conclusion of thought, then, was this: "We are mere beasts,
there is no substantial difference between the animals and ourselves;
we are apes, but our more remote ancestors were earthworms." With what
ardor did professors from their chairs a