THE ORIGIN OF LIVING MATTER 537 



A severe mechanist may yet be more humanistic in his attitude 

 than the most ardent vitaUst. The difficulty is that we have 

 learned to control nature before we have learned to control 

 ourselves. 



Certain phenomena, such as gravitation and life, have so far 

 defied all attempts at a purely mechanical interpretation. Per- 

 haps they will continue to do so. We need never hope for a 

 machine that will reproduce the thoughts of Newton, the emo- 

 tions of Beethoven, or the inspiration of Michelangelo. Yet 

 our only safe method of procedure in science is the experimental 

 and mechanistic one. 



I 



