WHAT IS LIFE? 



133 



they are noticed at all, may perhaps be replied to by writers 

 who will only be deterred from employing words of anger 

 and indignation, in speaking of me, by the dread lest violence 

 on their part should excite prejudice in favour of my views 

 and against their dogmatic teaching. Some will dismiss all 

 my remarks with a sneer, and if they hear them referred to, 

 will shrug their shoulders significantly, and, but for the 

 advantage it would most unfairly afford me, would include 

 me in the numerous class said by a high literary character to 

 comprehend by far the largest proportion of the population 

 of this and other countries. But this is of very small im- 

 portance, for it is to be hoped that the time will soon arrive 

 when most educated persons will be able to distinguish the 

 difference between an assertion and an explanation, will no 

 longer be imposed upon by metaphors, or misled by stupid 

 dogmas, and mistake arrogant assertions for fact-knowledge 

 and argument 



"What is life?" is a question that ought to be discussed 

 before the question "What am I?" is even proposed for 

 discussion. We want, in fact, a simple account of what 

 goes on in a simple thing that is alive. We want to know 

 the difference between the same matter in the living state 

 and in the dead state. If such enquiries are neither philo- 

 sophic nor scientific, I venture to think they require an 

 answer before anyone can progress much in the science of 

 mind ; and if philosophers and scientific men were to decide 

 that the question what is life ? cannot now, and never is to 

 be answered by science or philosophy, and decree that the 

 subject was not to be studied by those who prosecuted 

 science and philosophy, I should desire nevertheless to try 

 to find some answer to it nay, I think this ought to be 



