xn THE HOLISTIC UNIVERSE 343 



activity of Holism itself, working through the wholes and in ' 

 the variations which creatively arise from them. We have . 

 seen in Chapter VIII that these variations are not accidental i 

 or haphazard, but the controlled, regulated expression ofi 

 the inner holistic development of organisms as wholes. 

 There is Selection, and thus direction and control, right 

 through the entire forward movement, not only in the origin 

 of variations but also at the various subsequent stages of 

 their "selection," internal and external. This organic tf^ 

 holistic control of direction, this inner trend of the evolu-( 

 tionary process is really all that is meant by the metaphor 1 . 

 of Purpose or Teleology as applied to Nature or Evolution. | 

 To infer more is in effect to make the mistake of spiritual! 

 Idealism and to apply later human categories to the earlier S\ 

 phases of the evolutionary process. 



Thus it is that when we speak of Nature or the Universe j/ 

 as a Whole or The Whole, we merely mean Nature or the I . 

 Universe considered as organic, or in its organic or holistic * 

 aspects. We do not mean that either is a real whole in the 

 sense defined in this work. We have seen that the creative 

 intensified Field of Nature, consisting of all physical organic 

 and personal wholes in their close interactions and mutual 

 influences, is itself of an organic or holistic character. That i 

 Field is the source of the grand Ecology of the universe. 

 It is the environment, the Society — ^vital, friendly, edu- 

 cative, creative — of all wholes and all souls. It is not 

 a mere figure of speech or figment of the imagination, 

 but a reality with profound influences of its own on all 

 wholes and their destiny. It is the ol'/cos, the Home of 

 all the family of the universe, with something profoundly 

 intimate and friendly in its atmosphere. In this Home 

 of Wholes and Souls the creative tasks of Holism are 

 carried forward. Without idealising it unduly we yet feel 

 that it is very near and dear to us, and in spite of all 

 antagonisms and troubles we come in the end to feel that 

 this is a friendly universe. Its deepest tendencies are help- 

 ful to what is best in us, and our highest aspirations are 

 but its inspiration. Thus behind our striving towards better- 



