INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSIONS 135 



work of terminological description. There was nothing laid 

 down as to what teleology might signify. 



THE TWO CLASSES OF TELEOLOGY 



But now a more important analysis is to follow : to a 

 certain extent we now shall pass from mere denomination 

 to what may be called ontological problems. 



Whilst studying the teleological processes going on in 

 an engine constructed by man, we understand with absolute 

 clearness and distinctness that a process in nature may be 

 teleological or purposeful, and that it may be at the same 

 time of a purely mechanical or physico-chemical order ; 

 indeed all processes going on in human-built machines are 

 of that class, no matter what the machine. We know that 

 in these cases every single process of the whole of the 

 engine's function goes on in its singularity, and that its 

 purposefulness or teleology is due only to its place and 

 combination in the whole : it only is purposeful because it 

 stands in this special relation to other single processes, and 

 for no other reason at all. 



Let us speak of a statical teleology in such cases, or of a 

 teleology of constellation. 



Now at once the question arises : Are all teleological 

 processes in nature of the statical type, and what would 

 follow if they were not ? Of course, the name dynamical 

 teleology might be given to all kinds of natural processes 

 which are purposeful without being the mere outcome of 

 the constellation of a machine. 



We have proved by three independent lines of argu- 

 ment that such processes exist in organisms. From our 



