THE INDIRECT JUSTIFICATION OF ENTELECHY 249 



this science, though not amounting to a real proof of the 

 operation of an autonomic factor in life, such as our 

 entelechy, are certainly very easily reconcilable with its 

 existence. 



A chemical " living substance " does not exist. 



y. ENTELECHY INCOMPATIBLE WITH A "LIVING' CHEMICAL 



SUBSTANCE 



We shall now regard our problem from its other side. 

 We know that the facts show no indication of a " living 

 substance " in the chemical sense, we further know that an 

 autonomic regulatory factor is at work in organic processes. 

 What then, let us ask, follows from the concept of this 

 factor or agent itself with regard to the existence of a 

 living substance of a specific chemical constitution, as the 

 foundation of vitality ? Does an analysis of the concept 

 of entelechy lead to the admission of a " living " chemical 

 substance in spite of the negative facts of physiological 

 chemistry, or do the results of such an analysis stand in 

 harmony with our actual present knowledge of metabolism ? 

 In the first case science would have to go and search for 

 the " living substance " until it found it and could show it 

 in a test-tube ; in the second case its main work might be 

 said to be completed in this field. 



I now hope to be able to show you from the meaning of 

 the concept of entelechy that being a well established 

 elemental agent in nature that entelechy can be neither 

 the consequence of any sort of specific chemical compound 

 -when it might be represented by such a compound as 

 " living substance " nor the outcome or consequence of 



