COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



mena of consciousness and all other phenomena 

 — nevertheless the one as well as the other can 

 be scientifically explained only when present 

 manifestations are studied in their connection 

 with past manifestations. In this domain, as in 

 all others, the Law of Evolution holds sway. 



Let us now, in accordance with these gen- 

 eral considerations, begin by contemplating the 

 phenomena of Mind as gradually differentiated 

 from the phenomena of Life ; reserving for an- 

 other chapter the interpretation of sundry psy- 

 chological truths in terms of the law of evolu- 

 tion. And first let us reconsider the definition 

 of life which was briefly illustrated in the preced- 

 ing chapter. We saw that life essentially consists 

 in the continuous adjustment of relations within 

 the organism to relations in the environment. 

 And we saw that the degree of life is low or high, 

 according as the correspondence between in- 

 ternal and external relations is limited or exten- 

 sive, partial or complete, simple or complex. We 

 saw that the lowest forms of life respond to the 

 changes going on about them only in a sim- 

 ple, imperfect, and general way. A tree, for in- 

 stance, meeting by changes within itself none but 

 physical and chemical changes which occur with 

 general uniformity in the environment, exhibits 

 life in a very simple and unobtrusive form. We 

 habitually regard it as less alive than a polyp, 

 because the polyp, by displaying nascent sensi- 



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