An Introduction to a Biology 



indicated by the foregoing argument is that, though 

 on a materialistic view it is a perfectly simple matter, 

 and the organism ends where the body ends, and 

 there is an end of it, there is probably a mutual 

 interpenetration between the organism and matter ; 

 and the difference between man and the other 

 animals is that the latter are obliged to welcome 

 all matter they want to make use of instrumentally 

 within the four walls of their bodies ; whilst man is 

 enabled by the invention of the system of detach- 

 able organs to keep the great bulk of the matter 

 which he impresses into his service at arm's length. 



Evolution, therefore, in man consists no longer 

 in a modification of the shape of the parts of his 

 body. At any rate, if this corporeal change is 

 going on, it is taking place very slowly and is not 

 very interesting. Evolution is proceeding with great 

 rapidity in those organs of man which " are loose 

 and lie about detached " ; this is the whole argu- 

 ment of the Book of the Machines in Samuel Butler's 

 *' Erewhon." Bergson expresses exactly the same idea. 

 '' Chaque machine nouvelle etant pour Fhonime un 

 nouvel organ e, — organe artificiel qui vient prolonger 

 ses organes naturels, — son corps s'en trouva subite- 

 ment et prodigieusement agrandi . . . etc." ^ 



With the origin of man, evolution along the line 

 of man left the plane of corporeal change and rose 

 to that of extra -corporeal change. Before the origin 



* Institut de France. Academie des Sciences Morales et Politiques. 

 Seance Publique Annuelle, du samedi 12 Decembre, 1914. Discours de 

 M. Henri Bergson, President. 



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