THE RELATIONS OF ENVIRONMENT TO LIFE 75 



vironment account for life. By logical necessity, our 

 thought must get behind both, for an explanation 

 of Nature. 



We may indeed speak in a sense we must speak 

 of the action of environment, as we do of the 

 action of life ; but the term is used in quite different 

 senses in these two cases. Life is greater than 

 its surroundings, however dependent upon them. 

 Nature, regarded as distinct from life, is, at best, a 

 mere unproductive wilderness. Environment as a 

 separate entity is an impossible conception ; life is in 

 the midst. Thus is our definition of environment 

 constantly shifting, for as we rise in the scale, environ 

 ment of life includes even the lower forms of life 

 on which the higher life feeds. Whatever is yet to 

 be said as to efficient causes in Nature, the causality 

 of life itself wears quite different aspects, according 

 as the life considered is organic or rational. That a 

 certain mastery belongs to environment, even human 

 history is ever testifying; but this mastery yields, 

 before the powers of the rational agent. By in 

 terpretation of Nature s laws, man makes a new use 

 of Nature s supplies. He reads the laws of supply, in 

 the form of inductions as to Nature s potentialities. 

 Thus he has steadily extended his hold on possessions, 

 multiplying comforts and advantages, notwithstanding 

 all the evils which cling to our individual and our 

 social life. 



Still, Nature invariably makes large demands upon 

 effort, for satisfaction of life s wants. Beyond this, 

 Nature exacts much even in distribution of her gifts. 

 While a superabundance of life is provided, much of 

 it is sacrificed as an essential condition for general 



