"The want of a practical acquaintance with Natural History leads theauthor to take an erroneous view of the bearing of his own theorieson 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 knowsnothing at all about the matter. He knows enough for his argument;he knows the utility of the end; he knows the subserviency andadaptation of the means to the end. These points being known, hisignorance concerning other points, his doubts concerning otherpoints, affect not the certainty of his reasoning. The consciousnessof knowing little need not beget a distrust of that which he doesknow."
Paley's 'Natural Theology,' chap. i.
Or the Theories of Buffon, Dr.Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck,
as compared with that ofCharles Darwin
by
Samuel Butler
New York
E. P. Dutton & Company
681 Fifth Avenue
Made and printed in
Great Britain
The demand for a new edition of "Evolution, Old and New," gives mean opportunity of publishing Butler's latest revision of his work.The second edition of "Evolution, Old and New," which was publishedin 1882 and re-issued with a new title-page in 1890, was merely are-issue of the first edition with a new preface, an appendix, andan index. At a later date, though I cannot say precisely when,Butler revised the text of the book in view of a future edition. Thecorrections 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 ofhaving the stereos of more than fifty pages cancelled and newstereos substituted. I have also added a few entries to the index,which are taken from a copy of the book, now in my possession, inwhich 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 ofthe 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, Ihasten to say how much it grates upon me to appear to renew my attackupon Mr. Darwin under the present circumstances.
I have insisted in each of my three books on Evolution upon theimmensity of the service which Mr. Darwin rendered to thattranscendently important theory. In "Life and Habit," I said: "To theend of time, if the question be asked, 'Who taught people to believe inEvolution?' 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 anyphilosopher.
I have always admitt