LIFE AND THE COSMOS 305 



B 



TELEOLOGY 



If, then, cosmic evolution be pure mechan- 

 ism and yet issue in fitness, why not organic 

 evolution as well ? Mechanism is enough 

 in physical science, which no less than biolog- 

 ical science appears to manifest teleology; 

 it must therefore suffice in biology. 



Thus once more we arrive at the negation of 

 vitalism. For this conclusion we possess 

 two arguments: the argument that in such 

 aspects as concern physical science, and apart 

 from differences scientifically explicable, or- 

 ganic and inorganic phenomena are alike, and 

 therefore a specifically vital teleology is un- 

 necessary ; and the argument that inorganic 

 science unquestionably has no need of non- 

 mechanistic teleology. Hence we are obliged 

 to conclude that all metaphysical teleology is 

 to be banished from the whole domain of 

 natural science. 1 



What then becomes of fitness ? Clearly 

 there are two logical possibilities. Either there 

 exists an unknown mechanistic explanation of 

 that common issue of the organic and cosmic j 



1 Such at least is the simplest provisional hypothesis, and 

 the only view which involves no gratuitous assumptions. It is 

 therefore the one which must now be adopted. 



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