EARTH-LIFEGENERATION. 339 



each side is perpetually assimilating the other 

 to itself, that is the Inorganic to the Organic, 

 and then the Organic to the Inorganic. In 

 Earth-life we observe the twofoldness : the 

 non-vital element is not outside, but a part 

 of the process as well as the vital; the two 

 are mutually assimilative. But in the Plant 

 and Animal assimilation was essentially to 

 vitalize the non-vital and showed only one side 

 of the process; while Earth-life shows both 

 sides, not only vitalizing the non-vital, but 

 also devitalizing the vital. And we may also 

 say that it keeps individuating, de-individuat- 

 ing, and re-individuating Life. 



But now we have to ask : whence comes this 

 Earth-life! It too has an origin and a gen- 

 eration for itself, even if it be a source of 

 generation on our globe for the individual 

 Life in Plant and Animal. This is what we 

 may look at next. 



III. THE GENERATIVE PROCESS OF EARTH- 

 LIFE. Again we should first note that this is 

 the third stage of the total Process of Earth- 

 life, and is primarily the reproduction of the 

 Form of the Earth. For this Form has to be 

 continually generated by rotary motion, not 

 too swift nor too slow. Thus Generation in 

 the present case is a return to Formation 

 which we see perpetually re-enacted; for our 

 globe, even as to shape, was not made once 



