568 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION. 



mined by the inter-action of the co-operative factors. Given 

 the Persistence of Force, and given the various derivative 

 laws of Force, and there has to be shown not only how 

 the actual existences of the inorganic world necessarily 

 exhibit the traits they do, but how there necessarily result 

 the more numerous and involved traits exhibited by organic 

 and super-organic existences — how an organism is evolved? 

 what is the genesis of human intelligence? whence social 

 progress arises? 



It is evident that this development of Knowledge into 

 an organized aggregate of direct and indirect deductions 

 from the Persistence of Force, can be achieved only in the 

 remote future; and, indeed, cannot be completely achieved 

 even then. Scientific progress is progress in that equilibra- 

 tion of thought and things which we saw is going on, and 

 must continue to go on; but which cannot arrive at per- 

 fection in any finite period. Still, though Science can never 

 be entirely reduced to this form; and though only at a far 

 distant time can it be brought nearly to this form; much 

 may even now be done in the way of approximation. 



Of course, what may now be done, can be done but very 

 imperfectly by any single individual. 'No one can possess 

 that encyclopedic information required for rightly organiz- 

 ing even the truths already established. Nevertheless as pro- 

 gress is effected by increments — as all organization, begin- 

 ning in faint and blurred outlines, is completed by successive 

 modifications and additions; advantage may accrue from an 

 attempt, however rude, to reduce the facts now accumulated 

 — or rather certain classes of them — to something like co- 

 ordination. Such must be the plea for the several volumes 

 which are to succeed this ; dealing with the respective divis- 

 ions of what we distinguished at the outset as Special Phi- 

 losophy. 



§ 194. A few closing words must be said, concerning 

 the general bearings of the doctrines that are now to be fur- 



