310 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT 



that is to say, the mechanistic, origin of a cell 

 is scientifically imaginable, 1 though all believe 

 that once formed, cells exist as mechanisms 

 in a mechanistic universe. 2 Thus the chem- 

 ist puts his mind at rest regarding the exist- 

 ence of life, just as the physicist calms his 

 regarding the existence of matter, simply by 

 turning his back on the problem. Thereby 

 he suffers nothing in his practical task as a 

 man of science. 



Returning now to fitness, we may be sure 

 that, whatever successes science shall in future 

 celebrate within the domain of teleology, the 

 philosopher will never cease to perceive the 

 wonder of a universe which moves onward 

 from chaos to very perfect harmonies, and, 

 quite apart from any possible mechanistic 



1 This is not to express an opinion concerning the problem 

 of abiogenesis ; all admit that we cannot disprove such a 

 theory. But while biophysicists like Professor Schafer follow 

 Spencer in assuming a gradual evolution of the organic from 

 the inorganic, biochemists are more than ever unable to per- 

 ceive how such a process is possible, and without taking any 

 final stand prefer to let the riddle rest. But if life has 

 originated by an evolutionary process from dead matter, 

 that is surely the crowning and most wonderful instance of 

 teleology in the whole universe. 



2 See, for instance, F. Hofmeister, "Die Chemische Organ- 

 isation der Zelle," Vieweg, Brunswick, 1901, and Alsberg, 

 "Mechanisms of Cell Activity," Science, pp. 97-105, July 28, 

 1911. 



