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Evolution, Old & New Or, the Theories of Buffon, Dr. Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck, as compared with that of Charles Darwin By: Samuel Butler (1835-1902) |
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"The want of a practical acquaintance with Natural History leads the
author to take an erroneous view of the bearing of his own theories
on those of Mr. Darwin. Review of 'Life and Habit,' by Mr. A. R.
Wallace, in 'Nature,' March 27, 1879. "Neither lastly would our observer be driven out of his conclusion,
or from his confidence in its truth, by being told that he knows
nothing at all about the matter. He knows enough for his argument;
he knows the utility of the end; he knows the subserviency and
adaptation of the means to the end. These points being known, his
ignorance concerning other points, his doubts concerning other
points, affect not the certainty of his reasoning. The consciousness
of knowing little need not beget a distrust of that which he does
know." Paley's ' Natural Theology ,' chap. i.
Evolution, Old & New Or the Theories of Buffon, Dr. Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck,
as compared with that of Charles Darwin by Samuel Butler
New York
E. P. Dutton & Company
681 Fifth Avenue
Made and printed in Great Britain
NOTE
The demand for a new edition of "Evolution, Old and New," gives me
an opportunity of publishing Butler's latest revision of his work.
The second edition of "Evolution, Old and New," which was published
in 1882 and re issued with a new title page in 1890, was merely a
re issue of the first edition with a new preface, an appendix, and
an index. At a later date, though I cannot say precisely when,
Butler revised the text of the book in view of a future edition. The
corrections that he made are mainly verbal and do not, I think,
affect the argument to any considerable extent. Butler, however,
attached sufficient importance to them to incur the expense of
having the stereos of more than fifty pages cancelled and new
stereos substituted. I have also added a few entries to the index,
which are taken from a copy of the book, now in my possession, in
which Butler made a few manuscript notes. R. A. STREATFEILD. October, 1911.
AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
Since the proof sheets of the Appendix to this book left my hands,
finally corrected, and too late for me to be able to recast the first of
the two chapters that compose it, I hear, with the most profound regret,
of the death of Mr. Charles Darwin. It being still possible for me to refer to this event in a preface, I
hasten to say how much it grates upon me to appear to renew my attack
upon Mr. Darwin under the present circumstances. I have insisted in each of my three books on Evolution upon the
immensity of the service which Mr. Darwin rendered to that
transcendently important theory. In "Life and Habit," I said: "To the
end of time, if the question be asked, 'Who taught people to believe in
Evolution?' the answer must be that it was Mr. Darwin." This is true;
and it is hard to see what palm of higher praise can be awarded to any
philosopher. I have always admitted myself to be under the deepest obligations to Mr.
Darwin's works; and it was with the greatest reluctance, not to say
repugnance, that I became one of his opponents. I have partaken of his
hospitality, and have had too much experience of the charming simplicity
of his manner not to be among the readiest to at once admire and envy
it. It is unfortunately true that I believe Mr. Darwin to have behaved
badly to me; this is too notorious to be denied; but at the same time I
cannot be blind to the fact that no man can be judge in his own case,
and that after all Mr. Darwin may have been right, and I wrong. At the present moment, let me impress this latter alternative upon my
mind as far as possible, and dwell only upon that side of Mr. Darwin's
work and character, about which there is no difference of opinion among
either his admirers or his opponents. April 21, 1882.
PREFACE.
Contrary to the advice of my friends, who caution me to avoid all
appearance of singularity, I venture upon introducing a practice, the
expediency of which I will submit to the judgment of the reader... Continue reading book >>
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