ATTRACTION AND REPULSION 25 



Individual representing this evolution grow to reproduce 

 itself. 



Growth being on the whole a matter of addition to 

 existing substance, it may thus be said that every developing 

 Individual, by additions from outside to its substance, is 

 finally reproduced. And this brings us to the bed-rock of 

 our theory, for the addition is the result of the action of 

 one ubiquitous, fundamental force — the Force of Attrac- 

 tion. All vital processes manifest its action. 



But it does not rule alone ; and indeed if it did there 

 could be no growth. It is in constant strife with its anti- 

 thesis, the Force op Repulsion, and it will be shown as 

 we go along that these two Forces — in reality, one force in 

 two opposing aspects — are the basic factors in all Growth 

 and its accompanying phenomena. 



Growth is a reaction, or series of reactions, running to 

 a definite end, and with this peculiarity, that the series 

 finishes definitely only when the original elements or sub- 

 stances with which it started are restored or reproduced. 

 In other words, living growth is a cycle which passes through 

 many stages to arrive at the original starting-point — when 

 a new cycle may begin. When we view the phenomena of 

 Growth in complex organisms, what we see is the mass or 

 multiple exhibition of component phenomena or processes, 

 each of which is in turn a multiple exhibition of others more 

 simple. That is, the Individual growth-cycle is composed 

 of smaller cycles, and these of still smaller ones, till a unit 

 cycle is reached, the basis of all. This unit cycle runs its 

 course in obedience to the law of Attraction and Repulsion. 



Attraction and Repulsion. 



The forces of Attraction and Repulsion govern all matter, 

 and there is every reason to believe that it is through their 

 action that matter exists as matter. As we shall see, it 

 has doubtless been through the action of attraction that 

 the planet we inhabit assumed material form, and we know 

 that, like the other planets of the solar system, it pursues 

 its orbit under the influence of the sun's attracting force ; 

 in the same way the moon is subject to the attraction of 

 the earth. It is through this force that the land and water 

 composing the globe cohere in mass and to each other, 



