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  ADAPTIVENESS 
  AND 
  PURPOSIVENESS 
  

  

  (1) 
  The 
  raw 
  materials 
  of 
  adaptations 
  are 
  variations 
  or 
  

   mutations 
  the 
  precious 
  idiosyncrasies 
  of 
  structure 
  and 
  func- 
  

   tion 
  that 
  are 
  continually 
  cropping 
  up, 
  that 
  keep 
  the 
  realm 
  

   of 
  organisms 
  on 
  the 
  move. 
  Some 
  of 
  these 
  variations 
  may 
  

   be 
  accidental 
  and 
  some 
  necessitated, 
  but 
  of 
  many, 
  especially 
  

   those 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  called 
  ' 
  new 
  departures 
  ', 
  all 
  we 
  can 
  

   say 
  is 
  that 
  they 
  arise, 
  apparently 
  from 
  within 
  the 
  arcana 
  

   of 
  the 
  germ-cells. 
  They 
  look 
  like 
  expressions 
  of 
  inherent 
  

   creative 
  spontaneity, 
  like 
  experiments 
  in 
  self-expression. 
  

   And 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  remembered 
  that 
  a 
  germ-cell 
  is 
  not 
  an 
  

   ordinary 
  cell, 
  but 
  a 
  condensed 
  implicit 
  individuality, 
  rich 
  

   in 
  the 
  gains 
  of 
  the 
  past, 
  rich 
  in 
  possibilities 
  for 
  the 
  future, 
  

   a 
  psycho-physical 
  being 
  telescoped 
  down. 
  In 
  any 
  case, 
  

   while 
  our 
  ignorance 
  of 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  variations 
  remains, 
  as 
  

   in 
  Darwin's 
  day, 
  profound, 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  reason 
  why 
  the 
  

   argumentum 
  ad 
  ignorantiam 
  should 
  favour 
  mechanistic 
  in- 
  

   terpretation. 
  The 
  fact 
  is 
  that 
  we 
  cannot 
  at 
  present 
  give 
  

   a 
  mechanical 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  crop 
  of 
  variations 
  

   from 
  which 
  Nature's 
  weeding 
  removes 
  the 
  tares. 
  We 
  always 
  

   reckon 
  without 
  our 
  host 
  in 
  Biology 
  when 
  we 
  leave 
  life 
  out. 
  

  

  (2) 
  An 
  important 
  idea, 
  which 
  we 
  cannot 
  at 
  present 
  elab- 
  

   orate, 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  variations 
  or 
  new 
  departures 
  which 
  take 
  

   hold 
  must 
  not 
  be 
  inconsistent 
  with 
  the 
  already 
  established 
  

   organic 
  architecture. 
  Just 
  as 
  the 
  architect 
  or 
  the 
  crystal 
  

   must 
  build 
  congruently, 
  so 
  the 
  varying 
  organism 
  must 
  not 
  

   contradict 
  itself. 
  The 
  novelty 
  must 
  be 
  in 
  keeping 
  or 
  har- 
  

   mony 
  with 
  what 
  has 
  preceded, 
  with 
  what 
  has 
  already 
  jus- 
  

   tified 
  itself 
  as 
  fit. 
  There 
  are 
  very 
  few 
  monsters 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  

   in 
  wild 
  Nature, 
  for 
  they 
  express 
  a 
  contradiction 
  in 
  terms 
  

   and 
  cannot 
  live 
  in 
  natural 
  conditions. 
  Nay 
  more, 
  very 
  

   few 
  monsters 
  ever 
  appear 
  in 
  wild 
  Nature, 
  for 
  the 
  germ-cell 
  

   must 
  be 
  a 
  viable 
  unity, 
  and 
  even 
  in 
  its 
  experiments 
  it 
  is 
  

  

  