Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Preface
- Preface to the Second Edition
- Contents
- I On the Law which has regulated the introduction of New Species
- II On the Tendency of Varieties to depart indefinitely from the Original Type
- III Mimicry, and other Protective Resemblances among Animals
- IV The Malayan Papilionidœ, or Swallow-tailed Butterflies, as illustrative of the Theory of Natural Selection
- V On Instinct in Man and Animals
- VI The Philosophy of Birds' Nests
- VII A Theory of Birds' Nests; showing the relation of certain differences of colour in female birds to their mode of nidification
- VIII Creation by Law
- IX The Development of Human Races under the Law of Natural Selection
- X The Limits of Natural Selection as applied to Man
- NOTES
- INDEX
VIII - Creation by Law
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- Preface
- Preface to the Second Edition
- Contents
- I On the Law which has regulated the introduction of New Species
- II On the Tendency of Varieties to depart indefinitely from the Original Type
- III Mimicry, and other Protective Resemblances among Animals
- IV The Malayan Papilionidœ, or Swallow-tailed Butterflies, as illustrative of the Theory of Natural Selection
- V On Instinct in Man and Animals
- VI The Philosophy of Birds' Nests
- VII A Theory of Birds' Nests; showing the relation of certain differences of colour in female birds to their mode of nidification
- VIII Creation by Law
- IX The Development of Human Races under the Law of Natural Selection
- X The Limits of Natural Selection as applied to Man
- NOTES
- INDEX
Summary
Among the various criticisms that have appeared on Mr. Darwin's celebrated “Origin of Species” there is, perhaps, none that will appeal to so large a number of well educated and intelligent persons, as that contained in the Duke of Argyll's “Reign of Law.” The noble author represents the feelings and expresses the ideas of that large class, who take a keen interest in the progress of Science in general, and especially that of Natural History, but have never themselves studied nature in detail, or acquired that personal knowledge of the structure of closely allied forms,–the wonderful gradations from species to species and from group to group, and the infinite variety of the phenomena of “variation” in organic beings,–which are absolutely necessary for a full appreciation of the facts and reasonings contained in Mr. Darwin's great work.
Nearly half of the Duke's book is devoted to an exposition of his idea of “Creation by Law,” and he expresses so clearly what are his difficulties and objections as regards the theory of “Natural Selection,” that I think it advisable that they should be fairly answered, and that his own views should be shown to lead to conclusions, as hard to accept as any which he imputes to Mr. Darwin.
The point on which the Duke of Argyll lays most stress, is, that proofs of Mind everywhere meet us in Nature, and are more especially manifest wherever we find “contrivance” or “beauty.”
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Contributions to the Theory of Natural SelectionA Series of Essays, pp. 264 - 302Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009First published in: 1870