An Introduction to a Biology 



de voir dans I'heredite mendelienne un phenomene de 

 descente plutot que de montee, et de considerer la domestica- 

 tion en general comme declanchant certaines potentialites 

 de perte ou de destruction, est originale et suggestive au 

 plus taut point. Je souhaite que vous la repreniez et la 

 developpiez tout au long dans Pouvrage que vous projetez 

 d'ecrire sur 1'evolution. 1 En attendant je tiens a vous 

 envoyer, avec mes remerciements et mes compliments, 

 1'assurance de mes sentiments devoues. 



H. BERGSON. 



IV 



NOTES AND EXTRACTS 



MY attitude to the reader not that he must accept this as 

 logical necessity, but may if he like. 



* * * * 



Biology intermediate between painting and exact science. 



* * * * 



The spoon, knife, and fork are organs which the civilian 

 has detached and put into the " pool " of the family or 

 restaurant. They are less detached from the soldier. 2 



* * * * 



It may have been that curiosity operating through the 

 hand suggested the assumption of the erect posture. Ac- 

 cording to this view, it would not be the erect posture which 

 set free the hand, but the desire to use the hand which 

 suggested the erect posture. 



* * * * 



The explanation of the lathe is not its structure, but its 



history. 



* * * * 



Farseeingness of Germans, because intellect followed 

 lines of evolution of weapons. 



1 This refers to the work of which a fragment is here published, " An 

 Introduction to a Biology " (vide supra, pp. 1-89). 



2 Several of these notes were Jotted down while the author was under- 

 going training as a private soldier. 



104 



