242 t LIFE AND DEATH. 



introduced into the world the great principles of 

 continuity and evolution. 



The Principle of Continuity. First and foremost 

 we must mention Leibniz. According to the teaching 

 of that illustrious philosopher, as interpreted by M. 

 Fouillee, "there is no inorganic kingdom, only a great 

 organic kingdom, of which mineral, vegetable, and 

 animal forms are the various developments. . . . 

 Continuity exists everywhere throughout the world ; 

 everywhere is life and organization. Nothing is 

 dead ; life is universal." It follows that there is no 

 interruption or break in the succession of natural 

 phenomena; that everything is gradually developed; 

 and finally, that the origin of the organic being must 

 be sought in the inorganic. Life, properly so called, 

 has not, in fact, always existed on the surface of the 

 globe. It appeared at a certain geological epoch, in 

 a purely inorganic medium, by reason of favourable 

 conditions. The doctrine of continuity compels us, 

 however, to admit that it pre-existed on the globe 

 under some rudimentary form. 



The modern philosophers who are imbued with 

 these principles, MM. Fouillee, L. Bourdeau, and A. 

 Sabatier, express themselves in similar language. 

 " Dead matter and living matter are not two abso- 

 lutely different entities, but represent two forms of 

 the same matter, differing only in degree, sometimes 

 but slightly." When it is only a matter of degree, it 

 cannot be held that these views are opposed. In- 

 equalities must not be interpreted as contrary attri- 

 butes, as when the untrained mind considers heat 

 and cold as objective states, qualitatively opposed 

 to each other. 



Continuity by Transition. The argument which 



