LECTURE IX. 

 THE ISSUES OF LIFE. 



1. The Tactics of Animate Nature. 2. The Twofold Business 

 of Life. 3. The Struggle for Existence. 4. Correction of 

 Some Misconceptions of the Struggle for Existence. 5. The 

 Welfare of the Species. 6. As regards Warfare. 



1. The Tactics of Animate Nature. 



IF we share Bacon's belief that the footprints of the 

 Creator are imprinted on His creatures, we cannot but be 

 interested in inquiring into the general trend of organic 

 activities. What is all the bustle about? What are living 

 creatures, as they are, immediately working towards? If 

 they have an end in any sense in view, as some of them 

 have, what is it and by what means do they accomplish 

 it? Reality has been spoken of as "a totality of striving 

 and willing existence", we have in the realm of organisms 

 a portion of this reality, and we are bound to inquire into 

 the fundamental motives of the striving and crying that 

 surround us. 



Some students of the tactics of Animate Nature have 

 discerned in them little to admire and less to imitate. To 

 Huxley, for instance, it seemed that Nature's tactics are 

 so disappointing that Man's best rule for his own conduct 

 is to try to do the direct opposite of what Nature does. 

 Others, such as Prof. Patrick Geddes, have discerned in 

 Animate Nature a materialised ethical process worthy of 

 our closest attention and imitation. Which is right in this 

 case, master or pupil? Others, again, while making no 



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