2014 Reprint of 1952 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition. Not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. The author's brilliant exposition of the organismal theory of life and its extension to wider fields of thought remains a classic work to this day. The book is indispensible for all those, whether biologists or philosophers, who concern themselves with the fundamental problems of organic life. It remains an outstanding contribution to our understanding of the principles and potentialities of life.