298 SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE ORGANISM 



unscientific in spite of this small degree of rationality, 

 as to which it is generally not very clear itself. For 

 nothing is known with regard to the positive factors of 

 transformism, and we were only able to offer the discussion 

 of a few possibilities in place of a real theory of the 

 factors of descent. 



In spite of that it will not be without a certain logical 

 value to begin our analysis of history in general by the 

 discussion of possibilities again. Biology proper would 

 hardly allow us to do more : for the simple " fact ' of 

 history is not even a " fact ' in this science, but an 

 hypothesis, albeit one of some probability. 



As discussions of mere possibilities should always rest 

 on as broad a basis as possible, we shall begin our analysis 

 by raising two general questions. To what kinds of realities 

 may the concept of history reasonably be applied ? And 

 what different types of " history ' would be possible a 

 priori, if the word history is to signify more than a mere 

 enumeration ? 



