Division of the Organism.
PLANETARY AND COSMIC ORGANISM.
993. Hitherto we have regarded the organism merely in a general point of view; namely, as regards the substance, form, and processes, which must indiscriminately occur in every organism. We have seen that it is composed of at leastthreeelements, the earth, water and air. There is still, however, one combination that is possible and therefore also actual, namely, with the æther or thefire.
994. The organic world has two stages in its development. Upon each stage, however, it is the totality or synotype of nature, yet is different in each.
995. The organism represents the whole solar system; but this divides into two stages. The lowest of these is the Planetary, or totality of the Earthy, Aqueous and Aerial; the higher is the Solar or Cosmic, namely, the totality of earth, water, air and fire. Thus there is a tri-elementary and a quadri-elementary totality. As the first is already an organism, so much the more toomust be the second. Thus there must be one organism, which comprehends indeed all systems in itself, but with the preponderance of the Planetary; and one with the preponderance of the Solar.
996. In the planetary organism the æther-systems will be either wanting, or only indicated as mere projections; they are there only, in so far as the planet itself is not without light. In the solar organism, however, the planetary systems are subordinate to the æther processes; the former are only there, because the sun cannot be without planets. In the planetary organism the æther-system has only been taken up into the Terrestrial; but in the Solar the Terrestrial has been taken up into the æther.
997. In the planetary organism all the processes launch out into production or alterations of the matters; it is a chemical organism; in the solar organism there are processes, which neither change, nor produce matters, it may be therefore styled light organism.
998. The chemical organism is associated with the earth, the spiritual with the water and air; the former must therefore consist principally of carbon, the latter of the combination of oxygen with hydrogen, and thus of nitrogen.
999. The carbon-organism must moreover in accordance with its import be associated with the Inflammables and metals, and through these with the silicious earth.
1000. The nitrogen-organism on the contrary with the salts and calcareous earths; thus we have silicious organisms and calcareous organisms; Inflammable organisms and salt organisms. From this it is already clear, that the planetary or primary organism is not general, nor indefinite, but theplant; for no General or Indefinite has existence. The solar or quadri-elementary organism admits in like manner of being recognized asanimal. This is the philosophical deduction. But there is also a physiological, which conducts to the same result.
1001. The mucus-vesicle can feasibly pass into two kinds of condition only. It either remains in the water,or is cast upon the shore, or in the mud. In the last case it continues to lie, and is only supplied with light, and oxydized by the air upon the upper side; in the first case, on the contrary, it rolls about constantly in the water, and is alternately illumed and oxydized upon all sides. The first vesicle thus obtains a single axis from above downwards, between light and darkness; the second on the contrary gains a multitude of axes from without inwards, where it is alone dark and deoxydized. The first is thus devoid of any middle point, and finds its centre of gravity only in the middle of the earth, while the latter acquires its centre of gravity in its Interior, and this renders the Interior polar towards all points of the circumference. The plant is only one axis, or from having no middle point, is properly only one radius, which has its centre in the centre of the earth; the animal is an infinity of axes or radii, which concur or converge in the creature itself; the plant is an inverted cone, the animal an infinity of cones or a globe.
1002. Thus the planetary organism originates, if the primary vesicle having been taken out of the water is given up to the earth, to immobility and todarkness. But the light-organism arises, if the primary vesicle continue in water, or in the Moveable and Diaphanous. Here then in their genesis an essential difference is declared between the two organic worlds. Planetary organism originates, if the vesicle develops itself apart from the water, in which case it is withdrawn on one side from the light; but the light-organism originates if it remains in water itself, where it can be supplied on all sides with light. The essence of both is expressed by the namesdarkness-organism andlight-organism.
1003. The basis of both kingdoms is therefore exactly similar; the vesicle and the mucus lie at the foundation of both. It depends solely upon the surrounding element, whether out of one and the same mass this or that organism should arise, or rather upon the active influence of the light, this being conditioned only by the elements. Not a word can accordingly be spokenabout preformation. In darkness-organism the water-vesicle has been placed between earth and air, and thus fettered to the earth; in light-organism, however, the vesicle has been placed in the water and so freed from the earth.
1004. The planetary organism has, in accordance with its situation and import, been bound to the earth. It must originate like the metal in the earth, in the darkness and, as it were, in a vein. But it is at the same time a light-product; it must rise from out of the earth into the air and towards the light. It is a mucus, living metallic vein, which elevates itself from out the earth into the air.
1005. This organism, which originates in the darkness of the earth, and grows therefrom into the air so as to meet the light, isplant.
1006. The solar-organism is, in accordance with its import, void of connexion with the earth; like a planet it revolves freely about the earth, and everywhere receives its image or likeness in the influence of all four elements.
1007. The organism, which, free from the earth, has originated in water, or properly speaking, in the transparency, isanimal.
1008. The vegetable and animal are the only organic, kingdoms. In both, nature has exhausted herself, and has in the last kingdom, as in a mirror, been wholly reflected. They are together planet and sun, or thus solar system. But since the animal comprehends all elements in itself, so it contains also the plant, and is therefore for itself vegetable and animal kingdom, or the whole solar-system.
1009. The plant hath no free system of motion, because motion is wanting to it; bound to the elements, by these it is determined. The element of motion, the æther, lies apart from it. It has only motion, if and while the elements act upon, or solicit it, thereunto.
1010. It moves itself only by an external orforeignstimulus. If no foreign stimulus be present, it does notmove itself. A root grows, moves itself towards one spot, not because it thereseeksfor moisture, but because it isaffectedby the moisture which is there found. Were the moisture not to act upon it, it would wither.
1011. The animal has independent motion. For it has indeed taken up the centre, the earth-and the light-system which is the principle of motion, into itself.
1012. Thus the animal moves itself independently of external stimuli. The animal can move itself fromwantof stimulus. It moves itself toseekfor, and thus from want of, nourishment, which consequently does not act upon it; the plant cannot, however, move itself owing to want of food, but only die.
1013.This is the essential and only conclusive distinction between animal and plant.All others that have been advanced are not sufficient.
Processes of the Cosmic Organism.
ÆTHER PROCESSES.
1014. The primary or planetary organism cannot be the last product of nature's development: for it is only indeed the metatype of the three terrestrial elements, and consequently not of the totality of nature. The mucus-organism ascends to a higher stage, since it superadds to its three elements the primary element, or ascends itself to primary elements. It becomes anætherial globe of mucus.
1015. Hitherto there were merely three processes in the organism; to these consequently the fourth is added, which is the æther-process. It may be called the fire-process.
1016. With the fire-process the development of the organic world has been carried to the highest pitch and therewith closed.
1017. The highest organism is a quadri-elementary individual, or a quadri-elementary mucus.
1018. The four elements are, however, the universe. The higher organism is consequently not merely a synotype of the planet, but of it and the sun, or of the whole universe. The higher organism is an universe in miniature; in the profoundest, truest sense of the word is itsmall world,microcosm.
1019. The planetary, terrestrial organisms are related to the solar or cosmic, as the planet is to solar-system.
1020. The cosmic organism has besides the systems of nutrition, digestion, and respiration, those of the æther in itself, and thus of the gravity, light and heat. These are immaterial, spiritual processes, which produce no more matters.
1.Process of Gravity.
1021. The organ of gravity is that of quiescence or rest, the organ constituting the basis of the organic body, or rather of the other æther-organs, the centralization.
1022. It imparts form to the higher organism.
1023. The quiescent, sustaining, form-imparting system is the rigid earth-system, and appears as theosseous system.
2.Process of Heat.
1024. As the heat is the motion of the æther, so is there a system of motion in the organism.
1025. The system, which has no other function to perform than to move, is themuscular system.
1026. The osseous system is related to the muscular system as mass to motion, as Passive to Active. The former maintains the form, the latter changes the same exactly like gravitation and heat.
3.Process of Light.
1027. The light-system must be related to all other spiritual systems and the three fundamental systems of the organism, or to thesimplyorganic systems as light is to matter, being thus polarizing ordominant.
1028. Now the domination of light consists in the sustenance of polarity in all matter. The air itself is preserved in its duplicity only by light. All the points ofthe organism are polarized by the light-system. The light-system acts consequently through the whole body.
1029. The light-system is not capable of producing matter, like the terrestrial systems. This is self-evident.
1030. It does not polarize by effecting chemical changes. If nevertheless these are present, they are thus only results, occurring while the terrestrial processes are set in action by the process of light.
1031. Light polarizes the Material by mere fixation or discharging of poles, and thus in a spiritual manner. So also does the light-system of the organism. It governs the organism not by mechanical power, not by mass, but by aspiritual breath or aura.
1032. The organic light-system is the Animative of the organism. In it the spirit exercises its power over the mucous mass. It is thenervous system.
LIFE OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.
1033. The light-polarity can bring about no other tension in the mass than that which is peculiar to it, and thus the galvanic tension, whose highest and purest phenomenon is motion. The light-system principally causes motion in the mass, like as in æther.
1034. The nervous system has, however, a life also in itself, or theinternallight-polarity that is without any relation to the organic mass. This action of the nerves is calledsensibility, and its phenomenon,feelingorsensation. The system of sensation is the nervous system as sun in itself; in the motor-system it is as sun in a centre of planets.
1035. The organism, like the elementary nature, is completed by four systems.
1. By the Nutrient,2. " Digestive,3. " Respiring, and4. " Motive, unto which the nerves, muscles, and bones belong.
1036. It is impossible for more than these to be developed in an organism; impossible, for any thing elsebut what is in nature to originate therein; impossible, that any thing new be born by it. Everything in nature is only repetition of an Antecedent or something that has gone before. How could the organism be aught else, how aught else than the focus of the four elements!