OBVERSE A PRIORI PRINCIPLE. 409 



evolved organisms, the total cost of an individual becomes 

 very much greater than is implied by the amount of tissue 

 composing it. So, too, the total cost of producing each new 

 individual becomes very much greater than that of its mere 

 substance. And it is between these two total costs that the 

 antagonism exists. 



We may, indeed, reduce the antagonism to a form compre 

 hensive of all cases, if we consider it as existing between tho 

 sums of the forces, latent and active, used for the two pur 

 poses. The molecules which make up a plant or animal, 

 have been formed by the absorption of forces directly or 

 indirectly derived from the sun ; and hence the quantity of 

 matter raised to the form called organic, which a plant or 

 animal presents, is equivalent to a certain amount of force. 

 Another amount of force is expressed by the totality of its 

 differentiations. A further amount of force is that dissipated 

 in its actions. And in these three amounts added together, 

 we have the whole expense of the individual life. So, too, 

 the whole expense of establishing each new individual 

 includes first the forces latent in the substance composing 

 it when born or hatched ; second the forces latent in the 

 prepared nutriment afterwards supplied ; and third the 

 forces expended in feeding and protecting it. These two 

 sets of forces being taken from a common fund, it is manifest 

 that either set can increase only by decrease of the other. 

 If, of the force which the parent obtains from the environ 

 ment, much is consumed in its own life, little remains to be 

 consumed in producing other lives ; and, conversely, if there 

 is a great consumption in producing other lives, it can only 

 be where comparatively little is reserved for parental life. 



Hence, then, Individuation and Genesis are necessarily 

 antagonistic. Grouping under the word Individuation all 

 processes by which individual life is completed and main 

 tained; and enlarging the meaning of the word Genesis 

 so as to include all processes aiding the formation and per 

 fecting of new individuals ; we see that the two are funda- 



