ADAPTIVENESS AND PURPOSIVENESS 347 



is also purposive tlirough and through. And if it be said that in 

 all this the organism is merely obeying its hereditary constitution 

 adapted to react to an appropriate environment, it must be observed 

 that this hereditary constitution is determined by the selection of 

 variations, many of which seem like experiments in self-expression, 

 and that all the innate variations are, so to speak, cards which 

 have to be played by organismal endeavour. This endeavour is ipso 

 facto purposive and is along the lines of previous play in some 

 measure selected by the organism. 



Passing above what may be called organised purposiveness, we 

 may recognise instinctive purposiveness, often with its paradoxical 

 quality of making towards a goal which the individual never ex- 

 periences. At a higher level, among intelligent animals, it becomes 

 possible to speak of a perceived purpose — an imaging of the end 

 which has compelling force. Thus we are led to an appreciation 

 not only of the perv'asiveness of mentality in the realm of organisms, 

 but of the all-penetrating purposiveness as well. 



