1 7 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



pense of some other part. The evolution or development of the whole 

 cosmos — of the whole universe of matter — as a unit, according to the 

 doctrine of conservation of force, is inconceivable. It could only- 

 take place by a constant increase of the whole sum of energy, i. e., by 

 a constant influx of divine energy. 



e. Finally, as organic matter is so much matter taken from the 

 common fund of matter of earth and air, embodied for a brief space, to 

 be again by death and decomposition returned to that common fund, 

 so also it would seem that the organic forces of the living bodies of 

 plants and animals may be regarded as so much force drawn from the 

 common fund of physical and chemical forces, to be again all refunded 

 by death and decomposition. Yes, by decomposition ; we can under- 

 stand this. But death ! can we detect any thing returned by simple 

 death ? What is the nature of the difference between the living or- 

 ganism and a dead organism ? We can detect none, physical or chem- 

 ical. All the physical and chemical forces withdrawn from the com- 

 mon fund of Nature, and embodied in the living organism, seem to be 

 still embodied in the dead until little by little it is returned by decom- 

 position. Yet the difference is immense, is inconceivably great. What 

 is the nature of this difference expressed in the formula of material 

 science ? What is it that is gone, and whither is it gone ? There is 

 something here which science cannot yet understand. Yet it is just 

 this loss which takes place in death, and before decomposition, which 

 is in the highest sense vital force. 



Let no one from the above views, or from similar views expressed 

 by others, draw hasty conclusions in favor of a pure materialism. 

 Force and matter, or spirit and matter, or God and Nature, these are 

 the opposite poles of philosophy — they are the opposite poles of 

 thought. There is no clear thinking without them. Not only reli- 

 gion and virtue, but science and philosophy, cannot even exist with- 

 out them. The belief in sj)irit, like the belief in matter, rests on its 

 own basis of phenomena. The true domain of philosophy is to recon- 

 cile these with each other. 



■♦•♦■ 



HEEEDITY AND BACE-IMPEOYEMENT. 



By FEKNAND PAPILLON. 



TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY J. FITZGERALD, A. M. 



II. 



O far we have been giving the historical refutation. A more direct 

 and scientific refutation will prove still more decisive and in- 

 structive. Having shown that heredity does not exert an exclusive 

 and continuous influence, we must now indicate the causes which act 

 simultaneously with it and in a contrary direction. We have to de- 



s 



