26 The Mechanistic Conception of Life 



nature are the rule, the harmonically developed systems the rare 

 exception. But since we only perceive the latter we gain the 

 erroneous impression that the "adaptation of the parts to the 

 plan of the whole" is a general and specific characteristic of ani- 

 mate nature, whereby the latter differs from inanimate nature. 

 If the structure and the mechanism of the atoms were 

 known to us we should probably also get an insight into a world 

 of wonderful harmonies and apparent adaptations of the parts 

 to the whole. But in this case we should quickly imderstand 

 that the chemical elements are only the few durable systems 

 among a large number of possible but not durable combinations. 

 Nobody doubts that the durable chemical elements are only 

 the product of blind forces. There is no reason for conceiving 

 otherwise the durable systems in living nature. 



VIII. THE CONTENTS OF LIFE 



The contents of life from the cradle to the bier are wishes 

 and hopes, efforts and struggles, and unfortunately also dis- 

 appointments and suffering. And this inner life should be 

 amenable to a physico-chemical analysis? In spite of the 

 gulf which separates us today from such an aim I believe that 

 it is attainable. As long as a life phenomenon has not yet found 

 a physico-chemical explanation it usually appears inexplicable. 

 If the veil is once lifted we are always surprised that we did 

 not guess from the first what was behind it. 



That in the case of our inner life a physico-chemical explana- 

 tion is not beyond the realm of possibility is proved by the fact 

 that it is already possible for us to explain cases of simple mani- 

 festations of animal instinct and will on a physico-chemical 

 basis ; namely, the phenomena which I have discussed in former 

 papers under the name of animal tropisms. As the most 

 simple example we may mention the tendency of certain ani- 

 mals to fly or creep to the light. We are dealing in this case 

 with the manifestation of an instinct or impulse which the 



