1244 LIFE : OUTLINES OF GENERAL BIOLOGY 



side to endeavour? For most feelings arise in connection with, folk, 

 most knowledge arises in connection with place or environment, and 

 it is in connection with work that endeavour develops. The conative 

 side of life is largely work-experience focussed into purpose. Thus 

 we have feeling, knowledge, endeavour, corresponding to the old- 

 fashioned heart, head and hand — the three sides of our being. It is 

 this unity of the organism, at once biological and psychological, 

 that the biologist ventures to plead for, to correct a partiahty so 

 often evidenced in the phraseology, at any rate, of the sociologist. 



ORG 



ORG 



ENV 



OBJ 



Fig. 198. 



The Biological Prism. — I, The Organism (ORG) in relation to its Environment 

 (ENV) in its functions and functionings (FN). The prism is drawn un- 

 completed, to suggest that all the three sides are changing. II, The 

 convex outer surface indicates the objective aspect (OBJ). The concave 

 inner surface indicates the subjective or psychical aspect (SUB). In the 

 case of the environment, this is evident enough when part of the environ- 

 ment is animate. 



Thirdly, the biologist has, of course, a great deal to say to the 

 sociologist about heredity. If we can for the moment forget all the 

 details about heredity, and think only of the biggest things, the first 

 thing the biologist would urge is that the whole trend of modern 

 research points to the conclusion that we cannot add to the number 

 of our hereditary talents after development has got under way. 

 It is disappointing, but that seems to be the truth. If we have no 

 primordium, or what the Germans call Anlage, for this or that 

 quality, we cannot acquire it. If we have no ear for music, then we 

 need not spend money on music lessons: the initiative is not there, 

 and no amount of prayers or tears will bring it into being. We may 

 trade with our five talents, of course, and make them ten, but we do 



