concerning conclusions arrived at by others, I am obliged 

 to confess that I feel more strongly convinced than ever, that 

 all the physical doctrines of life yet advanced are quite un- 

 tenable. Some of the reasons which have led me to draw 

 this conclusion shall be set forth in this paper, while many 

 more have been already given in works and memoirs which 

 have been written by me during the last twenty years. The 

 general conclusion which, as it seems to me, a careful and 

 candid examination of the facts which bear upon the question 

 compels an unbiassed thinker to draw, is that no form of the 

 hypothesis which attributes the phenomena of the living 

 world to mere matter and its properties has been, or can be, 

 justified by reason. 



Unlearned people have been flattered by having been, as it 

 were, taken into the confidence of certain authorities of 

 materialistic tendencies, and assured that, as science is but 

 educated common-sense, they are well able to judge concern- 

 ing many deep, scientific questions of consummate interest 

 to every person of intelligence, and that, therefore, they will 

 feel convinced of the truth of recent conjectures on the 

 physical nature of life. Materialistic doctrines have now been 

 taught for so many years that they have come to be looked 

 upon as a sort of belief, or faith, which ought to be at once 

 accepted by all who desire to be considered, from the material- 

 istic point of view, as reasonable persons. Any who should be 

 so rash as to inquire concerning the exact meaning of the 

 terms employed, would be, of course, altogether beneath 

 notice, as they would prove, by the doubt they implied, that 

 they belonged to that large group of unteachable persons not 

 included among the wise, the learned, or the cultured. 



Instead of the hypothetical suggestions in favour of the 

 physical doctrine of life, advocated by materialists and others, 

 resulting from a legitimate flight, or extension, of the imagina- 

 tion into the border-land which lies between th'e extreme 

 limit of observation and experiment, and that region which 

 gradually passes into the Unknown and Unknowable, it will, 

 I think, be found that they are almost entirely sustained by 

 mere assertion, and by authoritative declaration, while careful 

 study will convince that they are not sanctioned by the facts, 

 observations, and reasonings, which constitute the science and 

 philosophy of the time in which we live. 



Positive conclusions have been drawn concerning questions 

 of momentous consequence not only to curious and scientific 

 people, but to mankind at large, and have been advocated with 

 a confidence which precludes doubt, and reiterated with a 

 pertinacity, which is calculated almost to enforce acceptance. 



