INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSIONS 127 



physics must be said to be misleading in so far as there 

 are many purely empirical principles in mathematical 

 physics also, only the consequences of which are explained 

 mathematically. Of course, there is nothing of a real 

 philosophy of nature in explanations of this kind. 



We shall deal in the remainder of this work with the 

 philosophy of the organism. But do not expect a complete 

 philosophical system of life from my future discussion. 

 You would be very disappointed if you did so. 



In fact, I shall try to show you in this section of my 

 lectures that the laws of life must be what they are, that 

 reasoning forbids us to accept any other law, and that it 

 forces us to acknowledge the actual laws, when once their 

 meaning is understood. But I shall do so only at the 

 end of a rather long discussion which will move, so to 

 speak, half-way between mere systematic philosophy and 

 theoretical science. 



The time is not ripe for offering you a real complete 

 philosophical system of the organism without a great 

 number of preliminary discussions. At least I myself 

 feel unable to offer you such a system without a certain 

 amount of preparation. Therefore I shall begin with the 

 discussion of certain fragments of a future complete system 

 of philosophical biology, or rather with certain considerations 

 relating to it ; and not till that has been done shall I try 

 to sketch the outlines of what will really deserve the name 

 of a pure philosophy of life and the organism. 



Our first task is a limited one; we must first bring 

 the general concepts we have gained from the analysis of 

 biological facts into connexion with parts of the philosophical 

 system of the Inorganic, at least with some special concepts 



