356 THE CONCEPT OF EVOLUTION 



is more or less lasting change from one form of equilibrium 

 to another, we might perhaps use the word genesis, and speak, 

 for clearness sake, of the genesis of the solar system or of 

 the moon. Many geologists speak of the genesis of ores and 

 mountain-ranges. It is clear that in the case of the solar 

 system, for instance, we have nothing like the succession 

 of generations, nothing like the sifting process, nothing like 

 the experimenting with existences which is so characteristic 

 of that sublime adventure which we call organic evolution. 



In the realm of organisms let us use the word development 

 for the individual's becoming, for its ontogeny, for the expres- 

 sion of the inheritance amid appropriate nurture. Let us 

 keep the word evolution for the phylogeny of the race as 

 distinguished from the ontogeny of the individual. 



Then let us keep the word history for the human King- 

 dom of ends, where social persons are the new actualities. 



What words are used matters, perhaps, little; the point 

 is that fallacy may be lessened by using differential terms, 

 by speaking of the genesis of the solar system, the develop- 

 ment of the chick, the evolution of birds, and the history 

 of institutions. 



2. The Evolution of Organisms Contrasted with 



Inorganic Genesis. 



Looking backwards, we may say that evolution within the 

 realm of organisms differs from genesis in the domain of 

 the inorganic in three outstanding ways. First, the discrete 

 material systems involved are organisms, more than 

 mechanisms, a differentia which implies, as we have seen, 

 alternatives, genuine agency, endeavour, some measure of 

 profitable enregistering of experiences, and in certain cases 

 the efficiency of what we call mind. 



