AND ITS SELF-CONSERVATION. 251 



And here we have a premonition or even elementary 

 phase of spontaneity developing in the space-world. The 

 internal shows itself to be ever spontaneously developing 

 itself to externality. Similarly the external, as being 

 itself but the outer phase of the internal, proves to be 

 completely pervaded with or characterized by iiiternality. 

 Affinity shows itself to be primarily the tension toward 

 union between two oppositely characterized elements. 

 And the affinity of these for each other gives them the 

 appearance of exhibiting choice or preference. For 

 while they show tension for or toward one another, they 

 prove themselves to be, at least relatively, indifferent 

 toward other elements. 



True, this is only formal and even mechanical choice. 

 And in this fact, indeed, is shown the fundamental iden- 

 tity (that is, identity in kind) of chemical action with 

 mechanical action. At the same time the preference 

 does here present itself; though it is also to be observed 

 that this is the most external phase of recognizable 

 internality beyond that of centrality in general. The 

 principle of "chemism" appears with far profounder 

 import in sexual tension, even as this is manifest in the 

 vegetable kingdom, and still more in the animal king- 

 dom; while its most elevated sphere of manifestation, 

 where it is revealed as genuine internality, is found in 

 the love and friendship existing between pure and noble 

 minds. At the same time, no really thoughtful mind 

 would for a moment allow the abstract identity here 

 apparent, under the form of continuity of principle, to 

 obscure the enormous difference in degree requiring in 

 the higher sphere quite other categories than that of 

 "chemism," or mere "affinity." 



