64 LIFE: ITS ORIGIN AND NATURE 
physical universe of ours is moving in a sort 
of cycle; it becomes active, dynamic, expresses 
itself in form and life, and then gradually be¬ 
comes formless, inactive, static,—in which 
condition it remains for a certain period of 
time before it again becomes manifest—and so 
on, forever, perpetually expressing itself in a 
series of cyclic activities. Whether such an 
idea represents anything like the truth we 
have, of course, no means of knowing—or rath¬ 
er, of proving scientifically. 
At all events, Life has a meaning and a pur¬ 
pose in and for itself. It strives, it perfects, 
it manifests. Whether this constant effort on 
the part of life has any ultimate, cosmic sig¬ 
nificance must depend upon the destiny of life 
itself. Our interpretation of the meaning and 
significance of life will thus depend upon the 
view we take of the nature of the Cosmos; and 
the nature and significance of this will, in 
turn, depend partly upon insight and philoso¬ 
phy, and partly upon scientific researches,— 
which are thus destined to serve as torches to 
illumine the road which we must ultimately 
travel. 
