THE DYNAMIC ELEMENT IN LIFE. 123 



beyond it; we may resume the conclusions reached in the 

 preceding chapters. Our surface knowledge continues to be 

 a knowledge valid of its kind, after recognizing the truth that 

 it is only a surface knowledge. 



For the conclusions we lately reached and the definition 

 emerging from them, concern the order existing among the 

 actions which living things exhibit; and this order remains 

 the same whether we know or do riot know the nature of 

 that from which the actions originate. We found a dis 

 tinguishing trait of Life to be that its changes display a cor 

 respondence with co-existences and sequences in the environ 

 ment; and this remains a distinguishing trait, though the 

 thing which changes remains inscrutable. The statement 

 that the continuous adjustment of internal relations to ex 

 ternal relations constitutes Life as cognizable by us, is not 

 invalidated by the admission that the reality in which these 

 relations inhere is incognizable. 



Hence, then, after duly recognizing the fact that, as 

 pointed out above, Life, even phenomenally considered, is not 

 entirely covered by the definition, since there are various 

 abnormal manifestations of life which it does not include, we 

 may safely accept it as covering the normal manifestations 

 those manifestations which here concern us. Carrying with 

 us the definition, therefore we may hereafter use it for 

 guidance through all those regions of inquiry upon which we 

 now enter. 



