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164 THEORETICAL BIOLOGY 



generates into a mere illusion, and what we admire as design 

 might turn out to be a mere game of chance ; which is what 

 Darwinism actually assumes. 



It was not without good reason that Darwin made struggle 

 the central point in his theory, for here there does seem to be 

 a distinct hiatus in the perfection of design. 



The limitations of the organism. This gap, however, is only 

 apparent, and it arises from a false definition. Perfection is 

 not omnipotence, hut merely means the correct and complete 

 exercise of all the means available. Even from the most perfect 

 being conceivable we cannot look for the exercise of resources 

 that it has not got. It must also be admitted that each 

 animal, even if it employs perfectly all the means in its posses- 

 sion, cannot perform more than these permit it to do. By 

 its resources, limits are set to the achievement of every 

 animal. The sum of all the resources at an animal's disposal 

 — such as the nature of its structure, the material of which 

 it is made, its strength, its size, etc., i.e. the sum-total of all 

 its properties and capacities — these make the organism. 

 Every organism, accordingly, has fixed limits. It cannot be 

 big and small at the same time, nor heavy and light, nor swift 

 and sluggish. It cannot be built on a two-rayed system 

 and on a four-rayed at the same time. Its body cannot be 

 both segmented and unsegmented ; its nervous system cannot 

 simultaneously be coordinate and subordinate, centralised 

 and decentralised. A bee cannot be a lizard ; it cannot 

 even be a wasp. Nor can it simultaneously belong to two 

 species ; it can only be itself, withni the limits set it by Nature. 



Every organism can only be itself. But within itself it 

 is perfect, because, unlike our human implements, which are 

 composed of structure and framework, it consists of framework 

 alone. Within it, all resources are exploited to the full. And 

 so we may make the following statement : — every living crea- 

 ture is, in principle, absolutely perfect. 



