DEFINITIONS OF LIFE. 27 



The third class, and far superior to the two former, 

 selects some property characteristic of all living bodies, 

 not merely found in all animals alike, but existing equally 

 in all parts of all living things, both animals and plants. 

 Such, for instance, is the definition of Life, as consisting 

 in anti-putrescence, or the power of resisting putrefaction. 

 Like all the others, however, even this confines the idea 

 of Life to those degrees or concentrations of it, which 

 manifest themselves in organized beings, or rather in those 

 the organization of which is apparent to us. Consequently, 

 it substitutes an abstract term, or generalization of effects, 

 for the idea, or superior form of causative agency. At 

 best, it describes the vis vita by one only of its many in 

 fluences. It is however, as we have said before, preferable 

 to the former, because it is not, as they are, altogether 

 unfruitful, inasmuch as it attests, less equivocally than 

 any other sign, the presence or absence of that degree of 

 the vis vita which is the necessary condition of organic or 

 self-renewing power. It throws no light, however, on the 

 law or principle of action ; it does not increase our insight 

 into the other phenomena; it presents to us no inclusive 

 form, out of which the other forms may be developed, and 

 finally, its defect as a definition may be detected by gene- 

 ralizing it into a higher formula, as a power which, during 

 its continuance, resists or subordinates heterogeneous and 

 adverse powers. Now this holds equally true of chemical 

 relatively to the mechanical powers; and really affirms 

 no more of Life than may be equally affirmed of every 

 form of being, namely, that it tends to preserve itself, 

 and resists, to a certain extent, whatever is incompatible 

 with the laws that constitute its particular state for the 



