Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 37.djvu/239

Rh a fair ground for the expectation that the whole cosmic process will turn out to be one of evolution. The business of philosophy, as I understand it, is, among other things, to arrive at a scientific theory of evolution; but these other things are quite as important as evolution. Philosophy, in fact, should embrace the whole of which the theory of evolution is a part.

Three or four generations of patient workers, cautiously feeling their way by the well-known methods of true science, may bring our posterity within sight of such a philosophy. For the present, while welcoming all attempts to foreshadow it, with due gratitude to their authors, and holding fast by that which is good in them, it is very necessary that we should not confound such scaffoldings with the edifice, the foundations of which are not yet complete. I am, dear sir, yours very faithfully,

Prof. Huxley asks that the foregoing letter be made public, on the ground that "there seems to be a good deal of misconception as to the position which now (as always) (he) I hold(s) in respect of current philosophical speculations."

, April 22, 1890.

raised in this correspondence, one an etymological, the other a philosophical one: the first relates to the use of language, the second to the limits of knowledge; the first is as to the meaning of a word, the second as to the powers of the mind.
 * There are two distinct questions

I. Metanoëo is composed of two Greek words, noëo, to think, and meta. Now meta, in composition, appears to imply one of three things: either (1) fellowship, as in meta-didōmi, to give to or share with another; or (2) exchange, as in metallassō, to change with another, to exchange; or (3) sequence, as in meta-melomai, to care afterward, to regret. I can not find that meta ever signifies beyond. The preposition used for this purpose is huper. Thus we have huperekperissou, exceeding abundantly, literally beyond measure. It would seem, therefore, according to the analogy of language, if the New Testament writers had wished to coin a word to express the idea of knowledge beyond knowledge, the word would have been not meta-noia, but huper-noia.

It is, however, very clear that the word repent does not correctly represent the meaning of the Greek word meta-noeö, if we have regard to the etymologies of the two words. Repent is strictly to repunish, and this is the idea which the Latin