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31

what then? How much to these laws prescribe? Simply that taking any system of particles not disturbed by anything outside the system, the positions of all the particles at any instant could be calculated without difficulty by any mathematician for whom complications were not difficulties, provided he were informed of the laws of force and of the positions of all the particles at two instants not too remote from one another. The laws of force, the positions of the particles at the first instant, and their effective motions from the first to the second instant, not being prescribed by the laws in question are either uncaused or are caused by something other than force. These considerations show over how small a part of the realm of physical fact the laws of dynamics and of force claim any jurisdiction. As for the relation of a physical event to a purpose it is sheer nonsense to think of it as influenced by any physical force.

So much for the action of instinct on any one occasion. There we are sure we understand ourselves. But

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