28 THE EVOLUTION OF CONTINUITY 



all things manifests its action in two opposing ways — as Force 

 of Attraction and Force of Repulsion. 



An essential characteristic of inorganic matter is its 

 comparative stability or equilibrium ; putting on one side 

 the question of radiation, its energy is naturally potential, 

 and when on the upsetting of equilibrium it is converted 

 into kinetic energy it returns as quickly as possible to the 

 potential state. Living matter differs from inorganic in 

 that although its activities similarly reflect the action of 

 the basic forces, and though it is the scene of earnest strife 

 for equilibrium, this goal is for all purposes never attained, 

 or, if so, only temporarily. The very efforts of living matter 

 to attain equilibrium at any point upset the advances 

 towards this state at some other point. The attainment of 

 lasting equilibrium implies death. 



As has been said, matter in any form owes its existence 

 to the Force of Attraction. It is this which preserves Matter's 

 personality whether in large masses, in molecules, or in 

 atoms. Indeed, if we are consistent, we must hold that 

 our theoretical ultimate unit of matter retains its identity 

 and personality through attracting force, and that were 

 the unit's equilibrium upset the infinitesimally small 

 particle would be dissipated. Into what we cannot safely 

 say, though we may hazard the evasion of " Power " or 

 " Force." 



Until recent times the smallest particle of matter which 

 could exist was held to be the " atom," its name signifying 

 that it could not be divided into anything smaller. Each 

 one of the various elements was believed to possess unalter- 

 able qualities owing to the ultimate nature of its atoms. 

 But at the present day there is abundant proof that all 

 atoms are complex systems of enormous numbers of smaller 

 particles called " electrons," and it is very possible that 

 the different kinds of atoms reflect different electronic 

 contents and " arrangements." We know also that the 

 elements have not unalterable natures, and that atoms can 

 break down and their electrons fly off in radiation, and that 

 through the breaking down of some elements simpler ones 

 may be formed. The atom which is stable owes its stability 

 and the preservation of its identity to central attraction, 

 which on the whole refuses to let its discontinuous and 



