BIONOMICS 185 



introduced conceptions which must go a long way to modify 

 and to complement not only the various theories of evolution 

 now extant, but also the " Principles of Biology " as they 

 have hitherto been recognised. 



It was Herbert Spencer's great merit clearly to formulate 

 these principles in accordance with the scientific knowledge 

 and general philosophical views of his time. His compre- 

 hensive survey filled a great need. It proved useful as a 

 fruitful source of suggestion, and complemented the great work 

 of the Yictorian period with which his name, as well as that 

 of Darwin, will always remain prominently associated. 



A detailed consideration of his biological "principles" 

 will provide the best opportunity of showing how the new 

 principles of Bio-Economics for which I contend require to be 

 systematically applied to Biology. 



.1 



In his first chapter on " Organic Matter," Spencer tells us : 

 The properties of substances, though destroyed to sense by combi- 

 nation, are not destroyed in reality : it follows from the persistence 

 of force, that the properties of a compound are resultants of the proper- 

 ties of its components resultants in which the properties of the com- 

 ponents are severally in full action, though greatly obscured by each 

 other. One of the leading properties of each substance is its degree of 

 molecular mobility; and its degree of molecular mobility more or less 

 sensibly affects the molecular mobilities of the various compounds into 

 which it enters. 



The argument, as we see, is drawn from fundamentals ; 

 the " persistence of force " to Spencer was only a better term 

 for the "conservation of energy," and "force" itself one of 

 his "unknowables." Notwithstanding the mystery of "force," 

 it is to this dynamic conception of organic matter as 

 the most adequate for practical purposes that we must attach 

 special importance. True, it has been found to be overlaid 

 with more complexity than Spencer knew of. Yet what Prof. 

 Bateson says of Darwin, viz., that we must be thankful that 

 he made his sweeping though premature pronouncement as 

 regards the factors of evolution, holds also, I believe, of many 



