﻿ORGANISM 
  AND 
  MECHANISM 
  133 
  

  

  or 
  of 
  environment; 
  it 
  compromises, 
  it 
  experiments, 
  it 
  is 
  full 
  

   of 
  device 
  and 
  endeavour. 
  The 
  evolving 
  organism 
  is 
  a 
  his- 
  

   torical 
  psycho-physical 
  being, 
  an 
  agency 
  trading 
  with 
  time; 
  

   and 
  the 
  humblest 
  creatures 
  are 
  in 
  their 
  mutations 
  creative. 
  

   Such 
  mechanical 
  description 
  as 
  is 
  possible 
  leaves 
  the 
  essential 
  

   features 
  undescribed. 
  

  

  IN 
  CONCLUSION. 
  

  

  The 
  result 
  of 
  our 
  consideration 
  is 
  that 
  while 
  mechanical 
  

   description 
  has 
  its 
  place 
  and 
  utility 
  in 
  the 
  organic 
  domain, 
  

   it 
  is 
  inadequate 
  to 
  cover 
  the 
  characteristic 
  facts 
  of 
  everyday 
  

   functioning, 
  of 
  animal 
  behaviour, 
  of 
  individual 
  development, 
  

   and 
  of 
  racial 
  evolution. 
  For 
  all 
  these 
  demand 
  other 
  than 
  

   mechanical 
  concepts. 
  

  

  Our 
  study 
  has 
  led 
  us 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  view 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  

   only 
  one 
  science 
  of 
  nature, 
  consisting 
  of 
  precise 
  chemico- 
  

   physical 
  descriptions 
  which 
  have 
  been, 
  or 
  are 
  in 
  process 
  

   of 
  being, 
  summed 
  up 
  in 
  mechanical 
  or 
  mathematical 
  terms. 
  

   As 
  it 
  seems 
  to 
  us, 
  there 
  is 
  greater 
  utility 
  and 
  accuracy 
  in 
  

   frankly 
  recognising 
  successive 
  orders 
  of 
  facts, 
  each 
  with 
  

   its 
  dominant 
  categories. 
  There 
  is 
  the 
  domain 
  of 
  the 
  inor- 
  

   ganic, 
  the 
  physico-chemical 
  order, 
  where 
  mechanism 
  perhaps 
  

   has 
  it 
  all 
  its 
  own 
  way. 
  There 
  is 
  the 
  realm 
  of 
  organisms, 
  

   the 
  biological 
  order, 
  where 
  mechanism 
  is 
  checkmated 
  by 
  

   organism. 
  There 
  is 
  the 
  kingdom 
  of 
  man, 
  the 
  social 
  order, 
  

   where 
  mechanism 
  is 
  transcended 
  and 
  personality 
  reigns. 
  

   Another 
  grouping 
  would 
  be 
  inorganic, 
  animate, 
  and 
  psychi- 
  

   cal, 
  but 
  we 
  wish 
  to 
  emphasise 
  the 
  apartness 
  of 
  man 
  which 
  

   has 
  been 
  obscured 
  by 
  the 
  Darwinian 
  theory 
  true 
  as 
  that 
  is. 
  

  

  These 
  orders, 
  which 
  we 
  separate 
  that 
  we 
  may 
  conquer 
  

   them 
  scientifically, 
  do 
  as 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  fact 
  overlap. 
  The 
  

   inorganic 
  overlaps 
  the 
  organic, 
  for 
  organisms 
  are 
  material 
  

  

  