LIFE AND THE COSMOS 283 



finality which appears, at least by contrast, 

 to characterize the greater body of opinions 

 in physical science. 



In particular two extreme views, though 

 often commingled, have continually striven 

 for the mastery. The one of these, purely 

 scientific and wholly positive, declares the 

 phenomena of life to be, while partly unknown, 

 ultimately knowable as manifestations of 

 matter and energy. According to this view 

 life is a mechanism and nothing more, in its 

 positive scientific aspects at least. Without 

 necessarily denying such assertions, the 

 other view sees the unique properties of life 

 to be dependent upon an equally unique 

 force or tendency, operating in or through 

 its physico-chemical organization. Either 

 there is a peculiar vital force; or there is 

 manifest in the organism a peculiar tendency ; 

 or at any rate life patently follows the path 

 into which it was propelled by an original 

 impetus, peculiar to life, unknown in other 

 phenomena. All such views inherently par- 

 take of metaphysics, and have, therefore, 

 ever aroused most determined opposition 

 among the more orthodox devotees of science. 



Descartes appears to have been the first 

 person to adopt the modern scientific attitude 

 toward life, and from him a very large pro- 



