ORGANISM AND MECHANISM 133 



or of environment; it compromises, it experiments, it is full 

 of device and endeavour. The evolving organism is a his- 

 torical psycho-physical being, an agency trading with time; 

 and the humblest creatures are in their mutations creative. 

 Such mechanical description as is possible leaves the essential 

 features undescribed. 



IN CONCLUSION. 



The result of our consideration is that while mechanical 

 description has its place and utility in the organic domain, 

 it is inadequate to cover the characteristic facts of everyday 

 functioning, of animal behaviour, of individual development, 

 and of racial evolution. For all these demand other than 

 mechanical concepts. 



Our study has led us away from the view that there is 

 only one science of nature, consisting of precise chemico- 

 physical descriptions which have been, or are in process 

 of being, summed up in mechanical or mathematical terms. 

 As it seems to us, there is greater utility and accuracy in 

 frankly recognising successive orders of facts, each with 

 its dominant categories. There is the domain of the inor- 

 ganic, the physico-chemical order, vv'here mechanism perhaps 

 has it all its o^vn way. There is the realm of organisms, 

 the biological order, where mechanism is checkmated by 

 organism. There is the kingdom of man, the social order, 

 where mechanism is transcended and personality reigns. 

 Another grouping would be inorganic, animate, and psychi- 

 cal, but we wish to emphasise the apartness of man which 

 has been obscured by the Darwinian theory — true as that is. 



These orders, which we separate that we may conquer 

 them scientifically, do as a matter of fact overlap. The 

 inorganic overlaps the organic, for organisms are material 



