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In 1 1 ic author's opinion the contract may be such of an only apparent 

 iiatuiv. in so far, as the products of living nature do not possess the 

 diarai-ttT of absolute mechanical stability, 'i lie n process of 



i;ni\vtli and metabolism in living nature, the never stopped cm 

 of consecutive events in the chain of life-evolution, is ratlin based 

 upon a certain lack of mechanical stability of the stages successively 

 arrived at. Highest mechanical stability corresponds however only 

 to highest possible symmetry under existing conditions; and only 

 because in living nature no such perfect mechanical stability can be 

 reached, the direction of natural events seems to be contradictory 

 to this principle. We shall return to these questions afterwards. 



