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220 HERBERT SPENCER

Origin of Life.—It is much to be regretted that
Spencer "had to omit that part of the System of
Philosophy, which deals with Inorganic Evolution.
Two volumes are missing." The closing chapter of
the second volume was to have dealt with " the
evolution of organic matter—the step preceding the
evolution of living forms." It is tantalising to learn
that he habitually carried with him in thought the
contents of this unwritten chapter, for it would
certainly have been interesting reading. He did,
however, give us some hint of his views.

First of all negatively, Spencer did not believe in
any alleged cases of spontaneous generation; he did
not believe that any creature like an Infusorian could
arise from not-living matter; he did not believe in an
"absolute commencement of organic life," or in a
" first organism." But just as the chemist is able to
build up complex organic compounds from simple
substances, so Spencer supposed that organic com-
pounds were evolved in nature. He supposed the
evolution of some substance like protein, which is
capable of existing in many isomeric forms, and of
forming with itself and other elements, substances
yet more intricate in composition. "To the mutual
influences of its metamorphic forms under favouring
conditions, we may ascribe the production of the
still more composite, still more sensitive, still more
variously - changeable portions of organic matter,
which, in masses more minute and simpler than exist-
ing Protozoa, displayed actions verging little by
little into those called vital." By a continuance of
the process, the nascent life displayed became gradually
more pronounced.



	220 HERBERT SPENCER Origin of Life.—It is much to be regretted that Spencer "had to omit that part of the System of Philosophy, which deals with Inorganic Evolution. Two volumes are missing." The closing chapter of the second volume was to have dealt with " the evolution of organic matter—the step preceding the evolution of living forms." It is tantalising to learn that he habitually carried with him in thought the contents of this unwritten chapter, for it would certainly have been interesting reading. He did, however, give us some hint of his views. First of all negatively, Spencer did not believe in any alleged cases of spontaneous generation; he did not believe that any creature like an Infusorian could arise from not-living matter; he did not believe in an "absolute commencement of organic life," or in a " first organism." But just as the chemist is able to build up complex organic compounds from simple substances, so Spencer supposed that organic com- pounds were evolved in nature. He supposed the evolution of some substance like protein, which is capable of existing in many isomeric forms, and of forming with itself and other elements, substances yet more intricate in composition. "To the mutual influences of its metamorphic forms under favouring conditions, we may ascribe the production of the still more composite, still more sensitive, still more variously - changeable portions of organic matter, which, in masses more minute and simpler than exist- ing Protozoa, displayed actions verging little by little into those called vital." By a continuance of the process, the nascent life displayed became gradually more pronounced.