294 SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE ORGANISM 



chemical compounds indefinite possibilities also exist in 

 some cases, but they obey the law of the general formula. 

 It is very strange that Darwinians of all people are in the 

 forefront of systematic research in all countries : do they 

 not see that what they are trying to build up can only 

 relate to accidental phenomena ? Or have they some doubts 

 about the foundations of their own theoretical views, in spite 

 of the dogmatic air with which they defend them ? Or is 

 it the so-called historical interest which attracts them ? 



A new question seems to arise at this point : Have not 

 we ourselves neglected history in favour of systematics and 

 laws ? Our next lecture, the last of this year, will give 

 the answer to this question. 



At present we continue our study of the possible aspects 

 of systematics. It is not difficult to find out what meaning 

 organic forms would assume under any phylogenetic theory 

 opposed to the theories of contingency. It was their 

 defence of contingency, that is, their lack of any law of 

 forms, that caused these theories to be overthrown reduced 

 to absurdities even and therefore, it follows that to assume 

 any kind of transformistic law is at the same time to deny 

 the accidental character of the forms of living beings. 



There is no forma accidentalis. Does that mean that 

 the forma essentialis is introduced by this mere state- 

 ment ? And what would that assert about the character of 

 systematics ? 



THE ORGANIC FORM AND ENTELECHY 



This problem is not as simple as it might seem to be 

 at the first glance, and, in fact, it is insoluble at present. 



