II 



THE NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE AS RE- 

 VEALED BY THE STUDY OF BIOLOGY 

 [Continued] . PRODUCTION OF NEW^ METH- 

 ODS OF ACTION AS V\^ELL AS OF NEV^ 

 MENTAL PHENOMENA. NATURE OF EVO- 

 LUTIONARY PROGRESS. 



IN our first lecture we concluded that, in view of the 

 facts of biology, the universe is not "a mere clock- 

 work mechanical wonder swinging in a vast vacuum," 

 but is a system that, in the course of time, comes to 

 life. It begins to feel, to suffer, to enjoy, to be aware 

 of itself, to have ideas and plans. It develops. Its 

 course in development is not stereotyped, not me- 

 chanically and mathematically predictable. In giving 

 rise to mental phenomena, the universe produces 

 things that are new and ultimate, only known as they 

 occur and are experienced. 



And now another question that is of fundamental 

 significance for our picture of the universe, for our 

 understanding of the nature of reality : Do these new 

 things make any difference to the course of events, to 

 the physical and chemical changes that occur, to the 

 movements that take place? Or are the feelings, ideas, 

 plans, purposes, when they come into existence, com- 

 pletely idle so far as the rest of the universe is con- 

 cerned? Is the production of what is new limited to 

 mental phenomena, everything else continuing as be- 



