14 WHAT IS LIFE 



living transformers of energy, should have led to 

 the equally mischievous view of the present day, 

 that no form of energy whatever is present in living 

 cells save such as are seen in the case of non-living 

 matter." Then he suggests his own term of " biotic 

 energy," to " represent that form of energy peculiar 

 to living matter, and exhibited in those energy 

 phenomena which are confined to living matter, and 

 are indeed its intrinsic property, by which it is 

 differentiated and known to be alive. It must be 

 pointed out that this point of view is equally 

 distinct from the ancient one of vital force, which 

 postulated something entirely distinct from the 

 forms of energy of the non-living world, and on the 

 other from the modern view that there exists in 

 living matter no form of energy which is not 

 identical with the forms of energy exhibited in 

 non-living structures." In this passage Professor 

 Moore appears to depart from his usual lucid 

 clearness. Two things must be either identical or 

 distinct, and the question as to whether they are 

 distinct or " entirely distinct " is one of degree and 

 of minor importance. Now, on the writer's own 

 showing, his " biotic energy " is not identical with 

 the forms of energy exhibited by non-living matter. 

 It must therefore be distinct from such forms. 

 "When this point is taken into consideration there 

 does not seem ' to be any real difference, save one 



