The Directive Factor 143 



organic selection is operative. Positive evidence in the 

 shape of cases is, however, to be found in the papers of 

 the writer and others on the subject.^ 



§ 3. The Directive Factor 



We have now found some reason for the reproduction 

 of individual or ontogenetic accommodations in phylogeny. 

 The truth of organic selection is quite distinct, of course, 

 from the truth of any particular doctrine as to how the 

 accommodations in the life of the individual are effected ; 

 it may be that there are as many ways of doing this as the 

 usual language of daily life implies, i.e., mechanical, ner- 

 vous, intelligent, etc. 



Yet when we come to weigh the conclusions to which 

 our earlier discussions have brought us, and remember that 

 the type of reaction, which is everywhere present in the 

 individual's accommodation, is the * circular reaction ' work- 

 ing by functional selection from over-produced movements, 

 we see where a real orthoplastic influence in biological 

 progress lies. The individuals accommodate by such func- 

 tional selection from over-produced movements ; this keeps 

 them alive while others die ; the variations which are rep- 

 resented in them are thus kept in existence, and further 

 variations are allowed in the same directions. This goes on 

 until the accumulated variations become independent of the 

 process of individual accommodation, as congenital endow- 

 ments, instincts, etc. Thus are added to the acquisitions 

 of the species functions the same as the accommodations 

 secured by the individuals. So race-progress shows a 



1 See also Chap. XIV., below, and the citations in Appendix A and 

 Appendix B. 



