is one which means to show us the gradual
building-up of the machine under the influence of external circumstances
intervening either directly by action on the tissues or indirectly by
the selection of better-adapted ones. But, whatever form this theory may
take, supposing it avails at all to explain the detail of the parts, it
throws no light on their correlation.

Then comes the doctrine of finality, which says that the parts have been
brought together on a preconceived plan with a view to a certain end. In
this it likens the labor of nature to that of the workman, who also
proceeds by the assemblage of parts with a view to the realization of an
idea or the imitation of a model. Mechanism, here, reproaches finalism
with its anthropomorphic character, and rightly. But it fails to see
that itself proceeds according to this method--somewhat mutilated! True,
it has got rid of the end pursued or the ideal model. But it also holds
that nature has worked like a human being by bringing parts together,
while a mere glance at the development of an embryo shows that life goes
to work in a very different way. _Life does not proceed by the
association and addition of elements, but by dissociation and division._

We must get beyond both points of view, both mechanism and finalism
being, at bottom, only standpoints to which the human mind has been led
by considering the work of man. But in what direction can we go beyond
them? We have said that in analyzing the structure of an organ, we can
go on decomposing for ever, although the function of the whole is a
simple thing. This contrast between the infinite complexity of the organ
and the extreme simplicity of the function is what should open our eyes.

In general, when the same object appears in one aspect and in another as
infinitely complex, the two aspects have by no means the same
importance, or rather the same degree of reality. In such cases, the
simplicity belongs to the object itself, and the infinite complexity to
the views we take in turning around it, to the symbols by which our
senses or intellect represent it to us, or, more generally, to elements
_of a different order_, with which we try to imitate it artificially,
but with which it remains incommensurable, being of a different nature.
An artist of genius has painted a figure on his canvas. We can imitate
his picture with many-colored squares of mosaic. And we shall reproduce
the curves and shades of the model so much