EVOLUTION AND DISSOLUTION 



names than the half-dozen pairs of correlative 

 synonyms by which we have thus far described 

 them. The names selected by Mr. Spencer will 

 be practically justified by the entire exposi- 

 tion contained in the following chapters ; but 

 even the cases already fragmentarily studied 

 enable us partly to realize the significance of 

 the terms Evolution and Dissolution, by which 

 he has designated these processes. In Mr. 

 Spencer's terminology, the integration of matter 

 and concomitant dissipation of motion is Evo- 

 lution — while the absorption of motion and 

 concomitant disintegration of matter is Disso- 

 lution. Both these terms possess the signal 

 advantage that, while they admit of precise 

 scientific definition, they are at the same time 

 currently used in senses strictly analogous to 

 those in which they are here employed. As 

 we shall presently see, the phenomena of or- 

 ganic life are those in which both the primary 

 and the secondary characteristics of Evolution 

 and Dissolution are most conspicuously exem- 

 plified. Especially in the career of the ani- 

 mal organism, these complementary processes 

 are manifested in groups of phenomena that 

 are more easily generalized and more immedi- 

 ately interesting than any others of like com- 

 plexity ; and to these groups of phenomena the 

 terms Evolution and Dissolution have long 

 been popularly applied. 

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