THE EVOLUTIONARY RHYTHM 47 



smallest organism, and for no two organisms is there 

 the same identical contact with the external world. 

 In the equilibration of forces that sets in as a con- 

 sequence of the varying strains and stresses between 

 outer and inner media, different functionings with 

 resulting characteristics follow. The individualis- 

 ing of the creature starts with its response to the 

 environment. All growth makes for larger contact 

 and greater instability with respect to the environ- 

 ment, resulting in progressively more complex func- 

 tioning and higher mechanism. When the inter- 

 relations between the organism and its external world 

 of fellow creatures and inorganic force have attained 

 their highest potentiality, the individuality is then 

 perfected. This happens, as is manifest, when the 

 integration is complete. On the other hand, the in- 

 tegration is complete because the creature has taken 

 its particular place in the whole. Our theorem 

 might be stated thus: Each has to that extent a 

 place in the larger whole that he has realised him- 

 self; and conversely, he has realised himself to the 

 extent that his relations with the whole are perfected. 

 While the struggle for existence has led to a com- 

 bining for mutual help and protection, it has been a 

 secondary factor only in the socialising process, the 

 fundamental one being the need that the individual 

 has for the larger activity, the fuller life which social 

 organisation alone makes possible. Manifestly the 

 factors of integration are not to be ascribed to evolu- 



