THE METAPHYSICS OF SCIEN"CE. 379 



of the coexistences which is the ultimate, self-sustained 

 and direct efficiency in the effectuation. For instance, a 

 seed placed in the ground germinates and grows into a 

 cabbage. Of course the totality of causation concerned 

 embraces all the causes, concauses and conditions which 

 have to coact and coexist during the process of germina- 

 tion and growth. They consist, in part, of a duly organ- 

 ized and living seed, a location in the soil, the presence 

 of moisture and light, and the activity of certain physio- 

 logical forces in the seed and developing tissues of the 

 plant. In a certain sense moisture is causal and light 

 is causal, and vegetable aliment is causal. Their caus- 

 ality becomes active, however, only on the condition of 

 an organized seed, and on the condition that it finds 

 lodgment in the soil, and on tlie condition that the grub 

 is kept away. While thus certain concurrences are con- 

 causal, others are conditioning. More immediately causal, 

 but conditioned on all the concausation and conditions 

 just mentioned, is the physical or physiological action 

 which reveals itself in the absorption of solutions and 

 gases from the soil and the atmosphere, the chemical 

 compounding and preparation of them in protoplasm and 

 the various juices, the conveyance of them to the various 

 parts of the growing plant, and the exhalation of vapor 

 and gases which are useless to the plant. It is certainly 

 in these activities that we approach nearest to the seat 

 of operation of efficient cause. But while these involve 

 such causation as is expressed by capillarity, endosmose, 

 chemism and exhalation, a moment's consideration shows 

 that, after all, these are but instrumental agencies or sub- 

 causes. These phvsioloo^ical movements and changes are 

 not self-maintained; they are not ultimate causalities; 



