CHAPTER I 



Pre-Organic Evolution and the Problem of 

 Organization of Matter. 



According to the best estimates available today, liv- 

 ing matter began to develop about one to two billion 

 years ago from the then existing non-living material. 

 It is not known whether this process has taken place 

 only on the earth, or whether it has and is taking place 

 in other portions of the universe. However, it is cer- 

 tain that the development of living matter on the earth 

 has given rise to structures of ever increasing com- 

 plexity. 



The non-living material which existed on this 

 planet, at the time at which the first structures that 

 can properly be termed "living" developed, must have 

 included some organic compounds of a high order of 

 complexity. Without the prior existence of such or- 

 ganic compounds, the development of life would have 

 to be explained in terms of metaphysical considera- 



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