LECTURE II. 



THE REALM OF 0RGA:^ISMS CONTRASTED WITH 

 THE DOMAIN OF THE INORGANIC. 



§ 1. Things and Living Creatures. § 2. The Characteristic Features 

 of the Realm of Organisms. § 3. J. Multitude of Individual- 

 ities, yet a Systema Naturce. § 4. Abundance and Insurgence 

 of Life. § 5. Struggle and Sifting. § 6. J. System of Inter- 

 related Lives. § 7. The Prevalence of Adaptations. § 8, The 

 Pervasiveness of Beauty. § 9. The Other Side of the Picture. 

 § 10. Resemblances between the Realm of Organisms and the 

 Domain of the Inorganic. § 11. Contrasts between the Realm 

 of Organisms and the Domain of the Inorganic. § 12. The 

 Suitability of the Inorganic to be the Basis and Environment 

 of the Organic. 



§ 1. Things and Living Creatures, 



In the concrete fulness of the world without, we distin- 

 guish by common consent the realm of organisms and the 

 domain of the inorganic. Sun and stars, sky and sea, moun- 

 tains and rivers, the air we breathe and the dust beneath our 

 feet, crystals and precious stones, it seems like colour-blind- 

 ness to sum this up in the negative and unattractive term 

 ^ inorganic '. But better that than use a question-begging 

 word. 



We must not dogmatically say *" inanimate ' Nature, for 

 it is making a sweeping assertion to declare that the inor- 

 ganic cannot have a meta-kinetic aspect. Nor is it quite 

 satisfactory to speak of ' the meclianical order of things \ for 

 we ourselves illustrate mechanical principles, even when we 

 raise our arm or eyebrow in protest. Moreover, it cannot 



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