II THE VITAL IMPETUS 9i 



has gone from A to B. Mechanism, here, would consist 

 in seeing only the positions. Finalism would take their 

 order into account. But both mechanism and finalism 

 would leave on one side the movement, which is reality 

 itself. In one sense, the movement is more than the 

 positions and than their order; for it is sufficient to make 

 it in its indivisible simplicity to secure that the infinity 

 of the successive positions as also their order be given at 

 once — with something else which is neither order nor 

 position but which is essential, the mobility. But, in 

 another sense, the movement is less than the series of 

 positions and their connecting order; for, to arrange 

 points in a certain order, it is necessary first to conceive 

 the order and then to realize it with points, there must 

 be the work of assemblage and there must be intelligence, 

 whereas the simple movement of the hand contains noth- 

 ing of either. It is not intelligent, in the human sense 

 of the word, and it is not an assemblage, for it is not made 

 up of elements. Just so with the relation of the eye to 

 vision. There is in vision more than the component cells 

 of the eye and their mutual coordination: in this sense, 

 neither mechanism nor finalism go far enough. But, in 

 another sense, mechanism and finalism both go too far, 

 for they attribute to Nature the most formidable of the 

 labors of Hercules in holding that she has exalted to the 

 simple act of vision an infinity of infinitely complex ele- 

 ments, whereas Nature has had no more trouble in making 

 an eye than I have in lifting my hand. Nature's simple 

 act has divided itself automatically into an infinity of 

 elements which are then found to be coordinated to one 

 idea, just as the movement of my hand has dropped an 

 infinity of points which are then found to satisfy one 

 equation. 

 We find it very hard to see things in that light, because 



