f 



184 HOLISM AND EVOLUTION chap. 



whole force of the organism of whose inner movement the variation 

 is but the most tangible expression. It is thus the organism as a 

 whole which in the first instance "selects" the winning variation 

 or series, and confers on it support and survival value. "Holistic 

 ^ Selection" is therefore in operation at the birth and through the 

 early nursing stage of the variation, and it is only at its maturity 

 that Natural Selection takes over, and the variation begins to 

 fend for itself, so to say. 



Holism must likewise be called in to explain organic co-ordina- 

 tion. It is, for instance, impossible without it satisfactorily to ex- 

 plain all the innumerable co-ordinations and co-adaptations in 

 structure and functions which constitute the action of a living 

 organism. No merely mechanical explanation of co-ordinated 

 animal movements or action has even been given. The animal acts 

 as a whole, with a unity and effectiveness of action which is no 

 mere mechanical composition of its movements. Holism not 

 merely as a coftcept, but as a real factor, is necessary to account 

 for this unique unity of organic or psychic action. 



Holism is not merely creative of variations, but just as much 

 repressive of variations. It is as often inhibitive as creative; it 

 holds in check certain features while it releases and pushes forward 

 others. Thus the balanced whole of the Type is achieved. This 

 repressive aspect of progress is neglected by Darwinism, but it is 

 just as real as the active variation. Both together underlie the 

 types and structures of life. This repressive tendency, already 

 fully at work on the organic level, becomes much more conspicuous 

 on the psychical level, where it operates as ethical restraint, so 

 essential in the formation of the Personality as a moral whole. 



From the holistic point of view it can be shown that the inner 

 and outer factors in Evolution lie much closer together than is 

 commonly thought, and the grandeur of the Darwinian vision, 

 instead of being dimmed, stands out in even greater fullness. 



Finally, Beauty in Nature is holistic, is of the whole, comes from 

 Holism, and is explicable on no other principle. Holism thus ac- 

 counts not only for the origin of forms and types, but also for their 

 Values, which far transcend the survival values necessary merely 

 for the utilitarian purposes of Nature. 



Newton's Law of Gravitation is perhaps the most strik- 

 ing instance in the whole history of science of one simple 

 generalisation bringing within its sweep the widest array 

 of physical facts. The new heliocentric point of view had 

 already become generally accepted when this law was 

 formulated, but vast masses of facts remained which could 



