Abstract
THE title of this book is rather misleading, since its main theme is an exposition of the author's 'philosophy' of vitalism, versus a scientific description of the phenomena of living organisms in terms of the existing concepts and laws of physics and chemistry. In this connexion he appears to be a 'materialist', that is, when he is contrasting the phenomena of life with what he calls the “material Universe”, by which he seems to denote inanimate things. His great argument here is that living organisms cannot arise solely from the action of “matter on matter”. He admits that the laws of physics and chemistry are operative in living organisms, but holds that they do not fully determine the “pattern”of life. This, according to him, is “doubly determined”, that is, determined not only by the laws of physics and chemistry but also by “something else”. This something else is “non-material”.
Science versus Materialism
By Prof. Reginald O. Kapp. Pp. vi + 280. (London: Methuen and Co., Ltd., 1940.) 10s. 6d. net.
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DONNAN, F. Science versus Materialism. Nature 149, 394–395 (1942). https://doi.org/10.1038/149394a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/149394a0
