336 COSMIC PHILOSOPHY. [ft. ii. 



I. An object is said to be homogeneous when each of its 

 parts is like every other part. An illustration is not easy to 

 find, since perfect homogeneity is not known to exist. But 

 there is such a thing as relative homogeneity ; and we say 

 that a piece of gold is homogeneous as compared with a 

 piece of wood; or that a wooden ball is homogeneous as 

 compared with an orange. 



II. An object is said to be heterogeneous when its parts do 

 not all resemble one another. All known objects are more or 

 less heterogeneous. But, relatively speaking, a tree is said 

 to be heterogeneous as compared with the seed from which it 

 has sprung ; and an orange is heterogeneous as compared with 

 a wooden ball. 



III. Differentiation is the arising of an unlikeness between 

 any two of the units which go to make up an aggregate. It 

 is the process through which objects increase in heteroge- 

 neity. A piece of cast-iron, before it is exposed to the air is 

 relatively homogeneous. But when, by exposure to the air, 

 it has acquired a coating of ferric oxide, or iron-rust, it is 

 relatively heterogeneous. The units composing its outside 

 are unlike the units composing its inside ; or, in other words, 

 its outside is differentiated from its inside. 



IV. The term integration we have already partly defined as 

 the concentration of the material units which go to make up 

 any aggregate. But a complete definition must recognize 

 the fact that, along with the integration of wholes, there 

 goes on (in all cases in which structural complexity is 

 attained) an integration of parts. This secondary integra- 

 tion may be defined as the segregation, or grouping togethei , 

 of those units of a heterogeneous aggregate which resemble 

 one another. A good example is afforded by crystallization 

 The particles of the crystallizing substance, which resemble 

 each other, and which do not resemble the particles of thf 

 solvent fluid, gradually unite to form the crystal ; which is 

 thus said to be integrated from the solution. Integration u 



