kinds and
grades, will help us in forming a true theory. Knowledge of the
reciprocal relations between the characters of men and the characters of
the societies they form, must influence profoundly our ideas of
political arrangements. When the inter-dependence of individual natures
and social structures is understood, our conceptions of the changes now
taking place, and hereafter to take place, will be rectified. A
comprehension of mental development as a process of adaptation to social
conditions, which are continually remoulding the mind and are again
remoulded by it, will conduce to a salutary consciousness of the
remoter effects produced by institutions upon character; and will
check the grave mischiefs which ignorant legislation now causes. Lastly,
a right theory of mental evolution as exhibited by humanity at large,
giving a key, as it does, to the evolution of the individual mind, must
help to rationalize our perverse methods of education; and so to raise
intellectual power and moral nature.

MR. MARTINEAU ON EVOLUTION.

[_First published in _The Contemporary Review_, for June,_ 1872.]

The article by Mr. Martineau, in the April number of the _Contemporary
Review_, on "The Place of Mind in Nature, and Intuition of Man,"
recalled to me a partially-formed intention to deal with the chief
criticisms which have from time to time been made on the general
doctrine set forth in _First Principles_; since, though not avowedly
directed against propositions asserted or implied in that work, Mr.
Martineau's reasoning tells against them by implication. The fulfilment
of this intention I should, however, have continued to postpone, had I
not learned that the arguments of Mr. Martineau are supposed by many to
be conclusive, and that, in the absence of replies, it will be assumed
that no replies can be made. It seems desirable, therefore, to notice
these arguments at once--especially as the essential ones may, I think,
be effectually dealt with in a comparatively small space.

* * * * *

The first definite objection which Mr. Martineau raises is, that the
hypothesis of General Evolution is powerless to account even for the
simpler orders of facts in the absence of numerous different substances.
He argues that were matter all of one kind, no such phenomena as
chemical changes would be possible; and that, "in order to start the
world on its chemical career, you must enlarge its capi