Chapter III

THE HISTORY OF CREATION ACCORDING TO CUVIER
AND AGASSIZ.

General Theoretical Meaning of the Idea of
Species.—Distinction between the Theoretical and
Practical Definition of the Idea of Species.—Cuvier’s
Definition of Species.—Merits of Cuvier as the Founder of
Comparative Anatomy.—Distinction of the Four Principal
Forms (types or branches) of the Animal Kingdom, by Cuvier
and Bär.—Cuvier’s Services to Palæontology.—His
Hypothesis of the Revolutions of our Globe, and the Epochs
of Creation separated by them.—Unknown Supernatural
Causes of the Revolutions, and the subsequent New
Creations.—Agassiz’s Teleological System of Nature.—His
Conception of the Plan of Creation, and its six Categories
(groups in classification).—Agassiz’s Views of the
Creation of Species.—Rude Conception of the Creator as a
man-like being in Agassiz’s Hypothesis of Creation.—Its
internal Inconsistency and Contradictions with the
important Palæontological Laws discovered by Agassiz 47