160 VITALISM AND SCHOLASTICISM 



statement, it may be said that it is a mere 

 formulation of facts. So much the better for 

 the statement. As to the latter part, however, 

 in which the real point lies, that no doubt will 

 be dismissed by many as " mystical," or as 

 an assumption. Let us at once dispose of these 

 phrases. It is fashionable nowadays to call 

 explanations of this kind "mystical" or 

 " supernatural," and imagine that they have 

 been thereby disposed of. But either there is 

 or there is not an element of this kind in 

 nature. If there is not; cadit quaestio. If 

 there is ; it is not supernatural. 



And now as regards an " assumption " ; no 

 doubt it is that in a sense. But is it an as- 

 sumption which can be proved directly or 

 indirectly ?. 



If at any time we set ourselves to the 

 consideration of possible vise mediae we shall 

 I think, be forced to the conclusion that in the 

 case of the problem which we are considering 

 we have arrived at what the logicians call a 

 Dichotomy. Either these thing are effected by 

 byjnere Matteflind Motion or there is a some- 

 thing over ; an enfelechy, to use the Aristotelian 

 phras^. If we are to rely solely on Matter and 

 Motion we must bear in mind that we must 



of the English translation of Cardinal Mercier's Manual, 

 since it is an authoritative work. 



