Note 168

The boundary between dead matter and organism is a twofold [earth] historical one, namely (1) concerning a one long-ago -- perhaps not fundamentally, but practically unrepeatable -- accidental event, and (2) an adjoining to this, rather transforming, developmental variation [organismic evolution]. This boundary is at the same time also all what one can, also in theoretical systematics [taxonomy] and not very appropriately, indicate as "bridge".

Back to main text