EVOLUTION AND CREATION.

Evening Star, Issue 21716, 10 May 1934, Page 6

EVOLUTION AND CREATION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —-I imagined so! “4 Phi” clearly thinks of Huxley, Haeckel, and Silencer as materialists in a sense that all three repudiated. He says: “In their day to think of materialism as a philosophy was to think of Huxley, Haeckel, and Spencer.” But, “in their day,” and in our day, it is only the opponents of materialism who ; misrepresenting it as being the belief that only matter exists and is the absolute reality, foist it on those who have and do repudiate such a belief. I know of no confessed materialist of authoritative standing who has expressly expounded as a philosophy the conception that only matter exists. However “dogmatic and cocksure ” Huxley, Haeckel, and Spencer were, it was not supporting the question that matter is the sole reality, but was rather in support of the sole reign of the naturalness of the phenomena of Nature as against its supernaturalness. With that 1 ‘ dogmatism ” I am in agreement, but it does not follow that agreement is discipleship. j'. does not follow not only because it -j irrational in itself, but also because such an attitude is not the offspring of any or all of these three persons. It is the very fundamental position of science itself —a position, that has historically developed from the pioneer speculations of the ancient Greeks. Thus it will be seen why, as I said, science is materialism. I am a materialist in.that I maintain of Nature a “ materialistic ” philosophy which involves the conception that all phenomena are the resultant of natural sequential causation, and am opposed to all “ spiritualistic ” philosophies that involve conceptions of supernaturalism and fortuitous events. As such I am the disciple of no man, but, with Huxley. Haeckel, and Spencer, and all who hold like views, I am the disciple of a common historical inheritance—the gradual development of the scientific mental outlook. “4 Phi ’ clearly fails to grasp just what the historic materialistic philosophy of pure science really is. Materialism will never forget Huxley, Haeckel, or Spencer; and perhaps “4 Phi” may now see how it “ is ” possible not to be their disciple, hut yet be a materialist. —I am, etc., Pbofanum Vulgus. May 10.