5. THE LOGICAL VALUE OF THE ORGANIC FORM 

 ACCORDING TO THE DIFFERENT TRANSFORMISTIC THEORIES 



A FEW words only must be added about two topics : on 

 the character of organic forms as regarded by the 

 different transformistic theories, and on the relation of 

 transformism in general to our concept of entelechy. 



We have learnt that both Darwinism and Lamarckism, 

 in their dogmatic shape, regard the specific forms of animals 

 and plants as being contingent ; in fact, it was to this 

 contingency that criticism was mainly directed. We 

 therefore are entitled to say that to Darwinism and 

 Lamarckism organic forms are accidental in the very sense 

 of the forma accidentalis of the old logicians. There 

 are indefinite forms possible, according to these theories, 

 and there is no law relating to these forms. Systematics, 

 under such a view, must lose, of course, any really 

 fundamental importance. "There is no rational system 

 about organisms " : that is the ultimate statement of 

 Darwinism and of Lamarckism on this doubtful question. 

 Systematics is a mere catalogue, not at present only, but for 

 ever, by the very nature of the organisms. It is not owing 

 to the indefinite number of possible forms that both our 

 theories came to deny the importance of systematics, but to 

 the want of a law relating to this indefinite number : among 



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