1 LIFE S BEGINNING ON THE EARTH 



This statement will probably arouse much opposition. 

 The objection will be raised that it is impossible to under- 

 stand on such a simple basis all the wisely planned arrange- 

 ments by which an animal is enabled to maintain itself. 

 Does this ability not point to the presence of a creator or to 

 a universally present spirit, who inspires the organization 

 of matter so as to develop life? 



Or perhaps a philosophical explanation may be preferred. 

 Novel modes of expression may be utilized in an attempt to 

 explain the purposefulness of life. The propounding of new 

 and strange names and terms has been an established priv- 

 ilege of philosophers of all ages. Formerly it was more 

 widely exercised, but even today it is continued by the bi- 

 ological specialist. By a variety of elaborate terms our 

 mind is time and again impressed with the fact that life is 

 planned according to a scheme and for a definite purpose. 



Can such expressions be looked upon as an objection to 

 the assertion that life is merely one cosmic event among 

 many? 



The fact is that they are identifications of an inherent 

 difficulty of the great problem, but they contain no sug- 

 gestions as to the underlying causes. Indeed the develop- 

 ment of living organisms in nearly identical forms, genera- 

 tion after generation, their adaptation to their environment, 

 their seeming skilfulness and resourcefulness in overcoming 

 innumerable handicaps, are all a matter of the most com- 

 mon observation. We may explain these facts as the result 

 of "determinism" or of a "vital force." Or we may sub- 

 stitute various other terms such as Aristotle's "Entelechia," 

 or Driesch's "Psychoid/ 5 or Bier's "Physis." Such ex- 

 planations are similar to the dialectic explanation of olden 

 times which stated that "a stone falls on account of grav- 

 ity." This statement means no more than that the stone 

 falls because it is heavy or that it falls because" it falls. 

 Such a play on words has nothing in common with the ex- 

 planations of modern science. 



