2 34 Lamarckian Heredity and Teleology 



" every great law that is added to our store adds also to our 

 conviction that the universe is run through with Mind. 

 Even so-called chance, which used to be the 'bogie' 

 behind natural selection, has now been found to illustrate 

 — in the law of probabilities — the absence of chance. 

 As Professor Pearson has said, ' we recognize that our 

 conception of chance is now utterly different from that of 

 yore . . . what we are to understand by a chance distri- 

 bution is one in accordance with law, and one the nature 

 of which can, for all practical purposes, be closely pre- 

 dicted.' If the universe be pregnant with purpose, as 

 we all wish to believe, why should not this purpose work 

 itself out by an evolution process under law t — and if 

 under law, why not the law of probabilities } We who 

 have our lives insured provide for our children through 

 our knowledge and use of this law ; and our plans for 

 their welfare, in most of the affairs of life, are based upon 

 the recognition of it. Who will deny to the Great Pur- 

 pose a similar resource in producing the universe and in 

 providing for us all t " 



§ 6. Cosmic Purpose and Laiv 



Indeed we may go further, and say that this working 

 out of cosmic purpose through some law of the whole, 

 rather than through the individual, is necessary to an 

 adequate theory of teleology as such. In biology the law 

 of 'regression' provides just such a * governor ' or regulator 

 of the process. According to it, individuals which depart 

 widely from the mean do not have proportionate influence 

 on posterity ; but there is a regression toward a value 

 which represents the mean attainment of the species up to 

 date. This value is kept fairly constant or gradually 



