140 THE THEOKY OF EVOLUTION 



What Franz understands by ' more perfect ' (p. 5) 

 he indicates by taking as synonymous the following 

 expressions: ' more favourable ; better; more purposeful; 

 adapted in a higher degree ; more capable of life than 

 the lower.' These expressions are not at all equivalent. 



A thing for instance, an instrument we call pur- 

 poseful, useful (Zweckmdssig = adapted to its purpose), if 

 it fulfils the objects it should attain to viz. its purpose. 

 The old church clock in a poor village is useful if it 

 only strikes the hours and half-hours, since it does what 

 it can and must. There is full agreement between its 

 construction and its service so far as the maker has 

 involved this in its works. A modern chronometer 

 which in a whole year does not vary one minute from 

 astronomical time, which shows the days of the week 

 and month, regulates itself automatically against 

 changes of temperature or humidity, is, considered 

 by itself, no more purposeful, since it only furnishes 

 what is instilled into its mechanism ; even in this 

 case, it is governed only by simple agreement between 

 construction and service. 



Nevertheless, such an exact chronometer is termed 

 by everybody a more perfect instrument than a 

 mere village church clock, since it is more perfect, 

 sufficing in a more purposeful way for several services 

 instead of fewer ; it is more perfect, being able to 

 indicate exact time under changing circumstances 

 instead of unchanging ones ; it is more perfect since 

 it regulates itself instead of being regulated by other 

 means, etc. 



