The Relations of Moral Philosophy to Speculation Concerning the Origin of Man [pp. 288-302]

THE RELATIONS OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY TO
SPECULATION CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF
MAN.
HOSOEVER forms any careful estimate of the prevail
ing current of opinion as to the existing order of things
in the world must be impressed with the deep and wide influence of the theory of Evolution. The set of the current is
manifest, tho there is not absolute agreement among scientific
men, and there is naturally still greater divergence in the public
mind.
The general agreement may be represented as an assent to
the position that there has been progress in variation and complexity of organization under the influence of surrounding conditions. Whether this amounts to the appearance of new
species in the history of animal life, may occasion considerable
controversy. But that manifold deviations in structure have
been introduced under the demand which circumstances have
occasioned, is not now seriously disputed. And this does not
hold merely in a few select cases, which may be taken as fortunate examples, but along the whole range of animal life. This
being admitted, it is only a natural accompaniment of this view
of evolution of life, that scientific thought should seek to include
man under the theory. For, whatever human nature may be in
respect of higher attributes, it includes physical life, subject to
physical conditions similar to those applicable to lower orders.
Human life, contemplated in its physical aspects, presents great
varieties in appearance and adaptation to different kinds of
work. What are the influences of civilization but so many
forms of agency exercising an unobserved but powerful sway
over the destinies of man, presenting at last in the history of