LIFE AS COMPAKED WITH THE PHYSICAL FORCES. 45 



two states are absolutely distinct. The living- world is not an 

 outcome — has not been evolved from the non-living world. The 

 relation between life, power, and matter is not quantitative, for a 

 particle of matter so small that it could not be seen bj the 

 highest magnifying powers at our disposal may be the carrier of 

 vital powei" capable of impressing with peculiar px^operties and 

 conferring peculiar structure upon hundredweights of matter 

 which by degrees may come within the sphere of its influence ; 

 while, as regards time, this influence may be handed down 

 through ages. I claim therefore for all Life a special position 

 independent of, and not in any way related to, any physical forces. 

 Life power nxust be placed in a category by itself, having nothing 

 in common with any material forces, powers or properties, and 

 holding in the cosmos a remarkable and peculiar place. If 

 governed, it must be governed by laws having nothing in common 

 with those which govern non-living. 



(2) From the Rev. R. Collins, M.A. 



We often perhaps get into difficulties by not distinguishing 

 between abstract and objective ideas. " Energy " and " force " 

 are distinctly abstract ideas, having no existence outside the mind 

 of the reasoner. " Life " is equally an abstract idea. 



The lecturer says, " We can measure any of the physical forces 

 by their manifestations ; but we cannot measure life by its mani- 

 festations." What do we mean, when we say we can measure 

 light and heat ? What do we mean bv " more or less light " ? 

 and " more or less heat " ? " More or less light " means, that 

 there are more or less ethereal pulsations on a given point in a 

 given time. We should say the same of what is called " radiant 

 heat." Heat and light are not intrinsically capable of being 

 either more or less subjective (not objective) i^alities. The 

 same is true of life, regarded merely as to its nature ideally ; and 

 that is what appears to be intended by the author. What do we 

 mean by " more or less " life ? We cannot really measure either 

 light or heat ; we can only measure their energ-ies, which we can 

 only do by measuring the work done by them. Now in the same 

 sense, surely, we can measure life. We can in fact only discern 

 the presence of what we call life — which some call " vital energy " 

 — by work done. And we can measure the work that is done by 



