Seeds of Hierarchy 199
This chapter explores the hints, inklings, and tentative formulations of
hierarchical selection theory developed and published during Darwin's century. As
a primary goal, I wish to bring to light the buried and forgotten discovery made by
all strict Darwinians: that they could not carry through the logic of organismal
selection to render all evolution without a crucial assist from selection at other
levels. Hierarchy theory only became a major and explicit theme in evolutionary
thought during the late 20th century, but a secret of history reveals that none of the
great thinkers who struggled, with uncompromising respect for logic, to establish a
general theory based on organismal selection alone could ever make the argument
work without an appeal, sometimes in frustration, to hierarchy.
Alfred Russel Wallace and August Weismann stand out as the two principal
"neo-Darwinians" of the late 19th century, the men most strongly dedicated to the
Allmacht of selection. They therefore become the test cases for my assertion that
hierarchy cannot be avoided. I shall bypass Wallace, though he fits my claim that
no pure selectionist could avoid hierarchy, because I find no
3 - 4. Weismann's personal copy (see his signature in upper right hand corner) of Spencer's reply
to their first round of polemics. The two marginal comments on page 12 read (in translation of
Weismann's German): "Impermissibly weak!" And (ironically): "As if that were certain!"
(Author's collection.)