Immagini della pagina
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

33X192

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

The question.-The two theories of man's origin.-The argument purely
historical.-Means of tracing man's ancestry and history.-Classification.
-Ontogenesis and Phylogenesis.

Amœba: Its anatomy and physiology.—Development of the cell.—

Hydra: The development of digestive and reproductive organs, and of
tissues.-Forms intermediate between amoeba and hydra: Magosphæra,
volvox.-Embryonic development.-Turbellaria: Appearance of a body
wall, of ganglion, and nerve-cords.

. 81

[ocr errors]

Mode of investigation.- Intellect. - Sense-perceptions.-Association.—
Inference and understanding.—Rational intelligence.-Modes of mental or
nervous action.-Reflex action, unconscious and comparatively mechanical.
-Instinctive action: The actor is conscious, but guided by heredity.—In-
telligent action.-The actor is conscious, guided by intelligence resulting
from experience or observation.—The will stimulated by motives.—Appe-
tites.-Fear and other prudential considerations.-Care for young and love
of mates.-The dawn of unselfishness.-Motives furnished by the rational
intelligence: Truth, right, duty.-Recapitulation: The will, stimulated by
ever higher motives, is finally to be dominated by unselfishness and love
of truth and righteousness.-These rouse the only inappeasable hunger,
and are capable of indefinite development. -Strength of these motives.—
Their complete dominance the goal of human development.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

The reversal of the sequence of functions leads to extermination, degen-
eration, or, rarely, to stagnation.-Natural selection becomes more un-
sparing as we go higher.-Extinction.-Severity of the struggle for life.—
Environment one.-But lower animals come into vital relation with but a
small part of it.—It consists of a myriad of forces, which, as acting on a

given form, may be considered as one grand resultant.-Environment is
thus a power making at first for digestion and reproduction, then for mus-
cular strength and activity, then for shrewdness, finally for unselfishness
and righteousness.—An ultimate "power, not ourselves, making for right-
eousness," a personality.-Our knowledge of this personality may be valid,
even though very incomplete.-Religion.-Conformity to the spiritual in
or behind environment is likeness to God.-The conservative tendency in
evolution.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

Subject of the Bible.-Man: Body, intellect, heart.-God: Law, sin,
and penalty.-God manifested in Christ.-Salvation, the divine life per-
meating man.—Faith.-Prayer.-Hope.-The Church.-The battle.—The
victory. The crown.

PRESENT ASPECTS OF THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION

PAGE

278

-

The struggle for existence.-Natural selection.-Correlation of organs.-
Fortuitous variation.—Origin of the fittest.-Nägeli's theory: Initial ten-
dency supreme.-Weismann and the Neo-Darwinians: Natural selection
omnipotent.-The Neo-Lamarckians.-Comparison of the Neo-Darwinian
and the Neo-Lamarckian views.-"Individuality" the controlling power
throughout the life of the organism.-Transmission of special effects of use
and disuse.-Summary.

« IndietroContinua »