NEW SYSTEM OF PHILOSOPHY. XI 



itrations, and the full breadth of its philosophic scope, is stamped 

 with a high originality. 



Having thus determined the sphere of philosophy and ascer 

 tained those fundamental principles governing all orders of phe 

 nomena which are to be subsequently used for guidance and veri 

 fication, the author proceeds to the second work of the series, 

 which is devoted to Biology, or the Science of Life. He regards 

 life not as a foreign and unintelligible something, thrust into the 

 scheme of nature, of which we can know nothing save its mys 

 tery, but as an essential part of the universal plan. The har 

 monies of life are regarded as but phases of the universal har 

 mony, and Biology i s studied by the same methods as other de 

 partments of science. The great truths of Physics and Chemistry 

 are applied to its elucidation ; its facts are collected, its induc 

 tions established, and constantly verified by the first principles 

 laid down at the outset. Apart from its connections with the 

 philosophical system, of which it forms a part, this work will 

 have great intrinsic interest. Nothing was more needed than a 

 compact and well-digested statement of those general principles 

 of life to which science has arrived, and Mr. Spencer s presenta 

 tion is proving to be just what is required. Some idea of his 

 mode of treating the subject may be formed by glancing over a 

 few of his first chapter-headings. PART FIRST: I. Organic Matter ; 

 II. The Actions of Forces on Organic Matter ; III. The Reactions 

 of Organic Matter on Forces ; IV. Proximate Definition of Life ; 

 V. The Correspondence between Life and its Circumstances 

 VT. The Degree of Life Varies with the Degree of Correspond 

 ence ; VII. Inductions of Biology. PART SECOND : I. Growth ; 

 II. Development ; III. Function ; IV. Waste and Repair ; V. 

 Adaptation ; VI. Individuality ; VII. Genesis ; VIII. Heredity ; 

 IX. Variation ; X. Genesis, Heredity and Variation ; XL Classifi 

 cation ; XII. Distribution. 



