Excerpt from The Theory of Evolution in the Light of Facts
The object of the present work is to throw some light on the theory of Descent. Among many of the students of nature of the present day we perceive that greater and greater contradictions arise between the actual results of their technical work and that which they put forward as 'postulates' of the theory of Evolution. Our object is to deal with this. The 'certain' or the 'probable' should be separated from the pure 'postulates' and the actual area of elucidation of the hypotheses of Evolution be thereby clearly defined. The chief postulate, the origin and development of the animals from the plants, is dealt with fully.
If the area of elucidation he exactly defined, then, and then only, can it be a question of a truly scientific attempt at explanation. The best known systems, those of Darwin and of Lamarck, are tested by their premisses and method; but only their specific doctrines are taken into consideration.
In the formation of a reliable hypothesis it was less important to present a complete collection of all observations than to show clearly, by separate examples, the demonstrative force and extent of the argument concerned.
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