VI FUNCTIONS AND CATEGORIES 143 



factor in organisms over which it exercises a measure of 

 guidance, direction and control. The nature of this regula- 

 tive or controlling activity is discussed in this chapter, and 

 the difficulties it gives rise to in its relation to the body 

 or the energy system generally are discussed in Chapters 



VII and X. 



2. This regulation and control is exercised over the 

 structures and functions of organisms generally, but some- 

 times special holistic organs are evolved, which seem spe- 

 cially destined to assist in the exercise of this regulation 

 and control. Such special holistic organs are the ductless ; 

 glands which pour regulative secretions into the general i 

 system, the nervous system, and especially the brain with 

 its correlate mind. These and other holistic organs are 

 special aids to Holism in its regulative activity. Various 

 aspects of these holistic organs are discussed in different 

 chapters. 



(C) In the third place, in order to express and explain 

 these activities of Holism at the different grades of Evolu- 

 tion and at the various levels of differentiation of types 

 and structures, categories of the Whole or holistic categories 

 are necessary, some of which have been discussed in this 

 chapter and others are dealt with in other chapters. Thus 

 arise the physical, chemical, organic, psychical and personal 

 categories, which are all expressive of holistic activity at 

 its various levels and reducible to terms of Holism. 



Holism thus appears in this scheme as the fundamental 

 activity of the universe from which all others are derived; 

 and the concept of Holism is the ultimate category of 

 description and explanation from which likewise all other 

 categories are derived. Holism therefore constitutes the 

 ultimate view-point from which to orientate our survey of 

 all the various forms and departments of reality. 



(D) There is one more aspect of creative Holism which 

 I must for the sake of completeness mention, although its 

 exposition falls outside the plan of this work. We have 

 seen that Holism is creative of all structures, inorganic as 

 well as organic. Thus all the types of structure in the 



u 



