THEOCCULTANALYSIS OFGENESIS 339
“Despite its small compass and difficult terminology, it is
one of the most valuable works in the whole literature of
biology.”
Haeckel's own views we find thus stated in his
“Anthropogenie”: “Nowadays we are hardly justified in
calling Epigenesis an hypothesis, as we have fully convinced
ourselves of its b eing a FACT and are able at any moment to
demonstrate it by the help of the microscope.”
A builder would be but a sorry craftsman were his
abilities limited to the building of houses after only one
particular model, which, during his apprenticeship, his
master had taught him to imitate, but which he is unable to
alter to meet new requ ir ements. To be successfu l he mus t be
capable of designing new and better houses, improving that
which experience teaches was not serviceable in the earlier
buildings. The same force which the builder now directs
outward to built houses better adapted to new conditions was
used in past Periods to build new and better vehicles for the
evolution of the Ego.
Starting with the simplest organisms, the Life which is
now Man built the Form to suit its necessities. In due time,
as the entity progressed; it become evident that new
improvements must be added which conflicted with the lines
previously followed. A new start must be given it in a new
species, where it could retrieve any previous mistakes which
experience taught would preclude further development if the
old lines were adhered to and thus the evolving life would be
enabled to progress further in a new species. When later
experience proved that the new form also was inadequate,
inasmuch as it could not adapt itself to some improvement
necessary to the progress of the evolving life, it too was
discarded and still another departure made, in a form