Life As a Whole

ductory material to the reprinting of this historic address might have given some information as to where and when the address was given. In this volume Professor Bews attempts a comprehensive ecological survey as a basis for a Holistic philosophy. Although most of the book deals with ecology on the sociological level, Professor Bews begins with a survey of ecological evolution and the simplest forms of life. After discussing man's life history, both from the standpoint of the individual and of racial and social groups, he proceeds to a cursory survey of man's discoveries and inventions, his art, literature, music, history, and philosophy. In attempting a work of such scope the author runs into many of the obvious pitfalls. The reader soon gains the impression that the validity of many of the ideas rests on very controversial scientific information, and that the material presented is, of necessity, too superficial. Likewise, Professor Bews falls into certain philosophical and terminological confusions. For example, Gestalt deals with wholes; ecology also deals with wholes, and the two concepts are often intermingled in such a way as to obfuscate the author's proper meaning. Moreover, he is often lax in defining the specific limits of the particular whole about which he is talking. Evolution, which must obviously play an important part in the author's thesis, is frequently mentioned as a concept, although he does not accurately specify the mechanism by which he considers the process to be brought about. Darwinism seems to be tacitly accepted, yet Bews differentiates between Holism and a mere survival of the fittest idea. He recognizes that Holism-the creation by Nature of balanced and harmonious wholes-must be fundamentally opposed to evolution which necessitates an unbalance with continuous readjustment and survival. He tends somehow to feel that Nature is probably striving toward a perfect whole which may never be reached. One might note errors of omission in the book. For example, there is no attempt to analyse trends in the arts, nor to apply, in any concerted fashion, the ideals of Holism to present-day problems of civilization. Such aspects as the protection and propagation of the unfit in modern society would seem worth considering in such a thesis. Professor Bews, however, manages well to cover as much ground as he does. A multitude of omissions are successfully compensated for in his last chapter wherein the author makes a plea for more integration and …