COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



of an organism, or of a group of organisms, con- 

 sists of two kinds of equilibration, which we 

 may briefly designate as external and internal 

 equilibration. And a moment's consideration 

 will show us that each of these kinds of equili- 

 bration may be either direct or indirect. The 

 adjustment of a group of organisms to changing 

 external circumstances is effected partly by such 

 direct adaptations as we have above considered, 

 partly by the destruction of all those members of 

 the group which do not become directly adapted. 

 In this latter way equilibrium is maintained in- 

 directly ; and natural selection, or survival of 

 the fittest, may be accurately characterized as 

 " indirect equilibration." Turning now to the 

 internal processes, we see that direct equilibra- 

 tion which consists in continually arranging all 

 the units of the organism in accordance with 

 their physiological polarities exemplified alike 

 in heredity and in correlation of growth. On 

 the other hand, the dwindling and final eva- 

 nescence of organs which are disused is due to 

 the fact that the nutritive material is all needed 

 by the other organs which are in constant use ; 

 and it may accordingly be regarded as an indi- 

 rect method of preserving the internal equili- 

 brium of the organism. The process of organic 

 evolution may therefore be summarized as fol- 

 lows : — 



94 



