No. 554] 



FITNESS OF ENVIRONMENT 



115 



lutionary processes independently result in two comple- 

 mentary fitnesses, hence they are related. In the one 

 process the origin of fitness is in part explained by a 

 mechanistic hypothesis. Nevertheless many philos- 

 ophers, as is their right, declare that in this process a 

 further extra-physical influence is to be assumed. But 

 any one who makes such an assumption for the one proc- 

 ess must certainly make it for the other, thus he will be 

 led to see impetus or entelechies everywhere. Under 

 these circumstances it may be doubted if his acquaintance 

 with the nature of his impetus or entelechies is so inti- 

 mate that he will be able to distinguish the inorganic 

 from the organic, for he has surrendered all positive 

 physico-chemical differences between organic and inor- 

 ganic bodies and processes to the mechanist. Hence, 

 unless he is to make an arbitrary and unintelligible dis- 

 tinction, or to indulge in the spinning of cobwebs, his 

 vitalism has ceased to be exclusively organic, in short, 

 has ceased to be vitalism at all, and has become mere 

 universal teleology. 



The whole process of cosmic evolution from its earli- 

 est conceivable state to the present is, however, pure 

 mechanism, as the most perfect induction of physical 

 science, based upon each and all of its manifold suc- 

 cesses in accounting for the phenomena of nature con- 

 clusively proves. 



But if cosmic evolution be purely mechanistic and 

 issue in fitness why not organic evolution as well ? 

 once more we arrive, this time more completely, at tin 

 negation of vitalism. Mechanism is enough in ; " 

 science, which no less than biological science ap] 

 manifest teleology; it must, therefore, suffice in 

 We possess two arguments; the argument that 

 mechanistically, organic and inorganic phenomena are, 

 in such aspects as concern physical science, alike, and. 

 therefore, a specifically vital teleology is unnecessary 

 and the argument that inorganic science unquestional 

 has no need of non-mechanistic teleology. Hence 

 are obliged to conclude that metaphysical teleology i 

 he banished from the whole domain of natural 



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