NATURE S GOOD: A CONVERSATION 



fution of which Spencer professedly made so much 

 the evidence. A universe describable in evolu- 

 ;ionary terms is a universe which shows, not indeed 

 lesign, but tendency and purpose; which exhibits 

 ichievement, not indeed of a single end, but of a 

 mltiplicity of natural goods at whose apex is con 

 sciousness. No account of the universe in terms 

 lerely of the redistribution of matter in motion is 

 Complete, no matter how true as far as it goes, for 

 [it ignores the cardinal fact that the character of 

 matter in motion and of its redistribution is such 

 as cumulatively to achieve ends to effect the 

 world of values we know. Deny this and you deny 

 evolution; admit it and you admit purpose in the 

 only objective that is, the only intelligible sense 

 of that term. I do not say that in addition to the 

 mechanism there are other ideal causes or factors 

 which intervene. I only insist that the whole story 

 be told, that the character of the mechanism be 

 noted namely, that it is such as to produce and 

 sustain good in a multiplicity of forms. Mechan 

 ism is the mechanism of achieving results. To ig 

 nore this is to refuse to open our eyes to the total 

 aspects of existence. 



Among these multiple natural goods, I repeat, is 

 consciousness itself. One of the ends in which Na 

 ture genuinely terminates is just awareness of it 

 self of its processes and ends. For note the im 

 plication as to why consciousness is a natural good : 



