364 SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE ORGANISM 



inevitable, as axioms are, but which are required in order 

 that the range of our actual knowledge may be self- 

 consistent. We have mentioned the most central one of 

 these postulates whilst dealing with our first proof of 

 vitalism. 1 We can work experimentally only with a few 

 eggs of the sea-urchin, but we postulate that what holds 

 for one holds for them all. This postulate is by no means 

 identical with the " axiom " of univocality or necessary 

 determination, whether in relation to causality or to 

 individuality. The axiom of univocality would remain 

 true even if our postulate were given up. If ever two 

 eggs of an animal behaved quite differently, we should not 

 say that circumstances being equal different things had 

 happened ; but we should say : the circumstances were not 

 equal. But we postulate that nature is so uniform I do 

 not say " constant " in itself that when a certain number 

 of typical features are present there most probably will 

 be also those, which in many cases have been found to 

 be actually in connexion with them. It is most important 

 that the distinction between this postulate and the 

 aprioristic axioms should be most clearly understood. The 

 axioms, based upon the categories as such, relate to the 

 ( Hven as phenomenon in general ; they are the prerequisites 

 of experience, of "understanding"; they set up scientific tasks. 

 The postulate relates to the Given in its specificity and 

 apparent contingency ; it maintains that there is uniformity 

 in the contingency ; it is a question of induction ; it is 

 induction enlarged ideologically ivith regard to the possibility 

 of science. 2 As all specificity and contingency of immediate 



1 See vol. i. page 148. 



2 Modern empiricism, economism, humanism, pragmatism, or whatever it 

 may be called, has always confused axioms with the postulate. 



