The foregoing remarks lead me to say a few words on the protest lately made by some naturalists, against the utilitarian doctrine that every detail of structure has been produced for the good of its possessor. They believe that
very very 1859 1860 1861 1866 | very 1869 1872 |
many structures have been created for
beauty in the eyes of beauty in the eyes of 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
the sake of beauty, to delight 1872 |
man, man, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | man 1872 |
or for or for 1859 1860 1861 |
or, as already mentioned and discussed, for the sake of 1866 |
or, as already discussed, for the sake of 1869 |
or the Creator (but this latter point is beyond the scope of scientific discussion), or for the sake of 1872 |
mere
variety. variety. 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
variety, a view already discussed. 1872 |
This This 1859 1860 1861 | Such 1866 1869 1872 |
doctrine, doctrine, 1859 1860 1861 | doctrines, 1866 1869 1872 |
if true, would be absolutely fatal to my theory.
Yet Yet 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | Yet 1872 |
I fully admit that many structures are
of of 1859 1860 1861 1866 | now of 1869 1872 |
no direct use to their
possessors. possessors. 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
possessors, and may never have been of any use to their progenitors. 1869 |
possessors, and may never have been of any use to their progenitors; but this does not prove that they were formed solely for beauty or variety. 1872 |
↑2 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1866; present in 1869 1872 | No doubt,
as recently remarked,
the definite action of changed conditions, correlated variation, and reversion
have all produced their
effects.
But the most
important consideration is that the chief part of the organisation of every living creature is simply
due to inheritance; and consequently, though each assuredly
is well fitted for its place in nature, many structures now have
no direct
relation to existing
habits of life.
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Physical conditions probably have had some little
effect effect 1859 1860 1861 | direct effect 1866 |
on structure, quite independently of any good thus gained. Correlation of growth
has has 1859 1860 1861 | has 1866 |
no doubt
played a most important part, played a most important part, 1859 1860 1861 |
has largely come into action, 1866 |
and a useful modification of one part
will will 1859 1860 1861 | has 1866 |
often
have have 1859 1860 1861 | have 1866 |
entailed on other parts
diversified diversified 1859 1860 1861 | diversified 1866 |
changes of
no no 1859 1860 1861 |
structure of no 1866 |
direct use. So again characters which formerly were useful, or which formerly had arisen from correlation of growth, or from other unknown
cause, cause, 1859 1860 1861 | causes, 1866 |
may reappear from the law of reversion, though now of no direct use. The effects of sexual selection, when displayed in beauty to charm the females, can be called useful only in rather a forced sense. But by far the most important consideration is that the chief part of the organisation of every being is simply due to inheritance; and consequently, though each being assuredly is well fitted for its place in nature, many structures now have no direct relation to the habits of life of each species. Thus, we can hardly believe that the webbed feet of the upland
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