^6 The Unity of the Organism 



ing it to a quotation from E. B. Wilson given in our historic 

 survey. This quotation is : "The only real unity is that of 

 the entire organism." This I would modify thus : The entire 

 organism is not the only real unity but it is a real unity, and 

 represented by the highest animals, especially man, is the 

 supreme unity. 



Whatever warrantableness there may be in the prejudg- 

 ment among biologists to the effect that the "organism as 

 a whole" connotates "the organism unanalyzed" even if not 

 unanalyzable, will I hope be met largely by the phrase "Or- 

 ganismal Integrity" of which I make much. Obviously, if 

 one stops to reflect a little, "the organism as a whole" if 

 taken strictly, could mean nothing less than the organism 

 and all of its parts. The whole would not be the w^hole if 

 some of its parts were omitted ; so even from this standpoint 

 one might contend that "the organism as a whole" must 

 mean the organism taken wholly, that is, through and 

 through, no part being neglected, and that consequently 

 instead of connotating the organism unanalyzed, in reality 

 it connotates just the opposite and thus indicates the only 

 starting point for complete analysis of the organism. But 

 "organismal integrity" not only carries all the other phrase 

 implies so far as mere totality is concerned, but it does more 

 in that integrity and its etymological kindred, point defin- 

 itely not only to the parts, but to them as interdependent. 

 The past participial form of the verb integrate, i.e., in- 

 tegrated, we shall find particularly serviceable, it being sus- 

 ceptible of use in the comparative degree. The greater or 

 less extent of integratedness of organisms we shall need to 

 speak much about as we proceed. Again such tenns as 

 integration, integrally, and integrality will, upon occasion, 

 contribute to precision and flexibility of expression. The 

 kinship, both as to terminology and conception, between 

 what is foreshadowed in the justification of the phrase or- 

 ganismal integrity and Herbert Spencer's Physiological In- 



