WCP2120

[1]¹

146 Clarendon St,

Ea[st] Melbourne

15th Aug[ust] 1907[?]

Dr A. R. Wallace

London

Dear Sir:

I have read with much interest your book The World of Life, and am pleased to note that you have at last got your eyes opened. For it must now be apparent to you that, if Natural Selection be not competent ^{to explain} the formation and arrangement of a bird's plumage, it is incompetent to explain the very simplest phenomenon of organic evolution. Hence you must be now recognise that Natural Selection is a complete fallacy, as I demonstrated some seven years ago, challenging you to prove the contrary.

In thus discarding² Natural Selection you are only following in the steps of Professor Weismann, who declares that it has nothing whatever to do with the variations from which New Species arise thus he has discarded Natural Selection in favour of his own theory of germinal selection, — which, however, I regard as being equally fallacious, if not more so

[2] I suppose you have read Bergson's Creative Evolution, and if so you would not fail to see that he works out a system, which is practically the same as that advanced by me. Only he uses the language of Philosophy, while I make use of that of science[?] and common sense. I consider his theory defective for the reason that he does not tell us what it is that evolves — and he seems to merge individuals in a sea of Being which is Becoming.

However, if you will turn to p 107 you will find his opinions of the Darwinian theory. Here he says —

That adaptation to environment is the necessary condition of evolution we do not question for a moment. But it is one thing to recognise that outer[?] circumstances are forces evolution must reckon with, another to claim that these are the directing causes of evolution. The truth is that adaptation explains the sinuosities of the movement, but not its general direction, still less the movement itself.

Now I have always been ready to admit that Natural Selection constitutes the driving forces in [3]³ in Evolution, but the ^a directive force involves the necessary existence of an Infinite Divine Mind ^{to be} inherent in the Material Universe. That is the philosophy for which I stand, and which is now coming to be recognised by all but a few sand-blind Materialists

It has always been my desire to help you out of the false position into which I could not help seeing that you had drifted. For I think that you must now recognise that you and Mr. Darwin are very largely responsible for the Materialistic error which has prevailed for the past half-century. I am pleased therefore that you have partly recanted your erroneous views in The World of Life; but I think that your only chance of peace⁴ and happiness either here or hereafter will be to make a full recantation while the opportunity still remains. This cannot be a pleasant task I know, but I think you will recognise that it is the [4] only course dictated by truth and honour.⁵

Because I have spoken the truth without fear or favour, I find that I am being boycotted in the Literary ^{Religious & Scientific} world of England[.] But I am not disturbed ^{on this account} for I find that my views are prevailing and I am satisfied that in due time I shall get a hearing.

Wishing you all good | believe me | Yours faithfu[ul]ly | J[oh]n Trouller [signature]