30 CREATIVE INVOLUTION 



cation to the phenomena of life: as witness the new 

 Evolution for which Darwinism is " an overcome " 

 hypothesis. 1 



It takes, however, the old Evolution as well as the 

 new to tell the story completely, 2 for the life-move- 

 ment is not the direct current we have conceived it, 

 but an alternating one, periodically reversing its di- 

 rection. Evolution (Darwinism) accounts for one 

 direction of the force; so far, so good. For the 

 other, the principle of spontaneity and new begin- 

 nings, we have to set up Involution. 3 Inasmuch as 

 we have postulated Evolution for the differentiation 

 of man, we must postulate Involution for his integra- 

 tion. 



In the interrelation of the two is to be found that 

 nexus for the life-chain which Evolution has not been 

 able to forge a nexus of sufficient strength to 

 bridge not only the chasm between the inorganic and 

 organic realms, but the far greater chasm between 

 the organic and the psychical, for it is a thought 

 nexus. 



i FOSTER: Finality of the Christian Religion, pp. 234-5. 

 2 Twofold is the life we live in 



Fate and Will together run: 

 Two wheels bear life's chariot onward. 

 Will it move on only one? 



From the Sanskrit. 



3 " It is the supreme law of philosophy that involution and 

 evolution are an eternal equation." 



JOSEPH COOK: Boston Monday Lectures. 



