﻿342 
  ADAPTIVENESS 
  AND 
  PURPOSIVENESS 
  

  

  organism's 
  ready-made 
  self. 
  The 
  organism 
  as 
  a 
  whole 
  

   hardly 
  requires 
  to 
  keep 
  its 
  hand 
  on 
  the 
  reins, 
  purpose 
  has 
  be- 
  

   come 
  implicit. 
  There 
  are 
  disadvantages 
  in 
  this, 
  for 
  the 
  fixity 
  

   sometimes 
  leads 
  to 
  quaint 
  mistakes, 
  but 
  it 
  spells 
  economy 
  

   and 
  allows 
  more 
  freedom 
  for 
  direct 
  or 
  individual 
  purposive 
  

   or 
  purposeful 
  endeavours 
  and 
  experiments. 
  Just 
  as 
  we 
  need 
  

   the 
  uniformity 
  of 
  the 
  inorganic 
  domain 
  as 
  a 
  reliable 
  fulcrum 
  

   for 
  our 
  efforts, 
  so 
  the 
  uniformity 
  of 
  organised 
  or 
  implicit 
  

   purposiveness, 
  besides 
  saving 
  organismal 
  energy, 
  may 
  serve 
  

   as 
  a 
  trustworthy 
  stepping-stone 
  to 
  higher 
  things. 
  

  

  When 
  we 
  observe 
  an 
  intricate 
  machine 
  with 
  many 
  regula- 
  

   tive 
  adjustments, 
  such 
  as 
  safety-valves, 
  we 
  are 
  impressed 
  

   with 
  its 
  efficiency 
  and 
  purposelikeness. 
  But 
  we 
  credit 
  its 
  

   maker 
  with 
  purpose, 
  not 
  itself; 
  the 
  concept 
  does 
  not 
  grip. 
  

   It 
  is 
  a 
  confusion 
  of 
  thought 
  to 
  speak 
  of 
  a 
  torpedo 
  or 
  a 
  solar 
  

   system 
  being 
  actuated 
  by 
  purpose. 
  Only 
  an 
  organism 
  or 
  a 
  

   higher 
  form 
  of 
  Being 
  can 
  have 
  a 
  purpose. 
  

  

  Similarly 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  smooth 
  working 
  of 
  the 
  organs 
  

   of 
  a 
  complex 
  animal 
  and 
  even 
  the 
  orderly 
  development 
  of 
  

   the 
  same 
  we 
  are 
  inclined 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  the 
  appropriate 
  term 
  

   is 
  adaptive 
  not 
  purposive. 
  The 
  concept 
  of 
  adaptation 
  suffices 
  

   for 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  in 
  ordinary 
  functioning 
  " 
  the 
  whole 
  and 
  the 
  

   parts 
  are, 
  as 
  it 
  were, 
  reciprocally 
  ends 
  to 
  each 
  other 
  ". 
  The 
  

   harmonious 
  functioning 
  and 
  development 
  are 
  the 
  outcome 
  

   of 
  an 
  organisation 
  gradually 
  wrought 
  out 
  through 
  ages 
  and 
  

   are 
  exhibited 
  whenever 
  suitable 
  liberating 
  stimuli 
  are 
  pres- 
  

   ent. 
  We 
  need 
  not 
  here 
  introduce 
  the 
  concept 
  of 
  actuating 
  

   purpose 
  in 
  any 
  form. 
  

  

  But 
  it 
  seems 
  legitimate 
  to 
  lay 
  emphasis 
  on 
  the 
  view 
  which 
  

   we 
  have 
  tried 
  to 
  substantiate 
  that 
  the 
  adaptive 
  organisation 
  

   did 
  not 
  come 
  about 
  mechanically, 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  behind 
  it 
  a 
  

   long 
  history 
  in 
  which 
  germinal 
  variability 
  and 
  organic 
  pur- 
  

  

  