CHAPTER I

INTRODUCfION

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O'ARCY T1lOMPSOS
On Growth and Form

1.1. TIlE PROGRAM

A, 'Ibt succt'S.Qon of form

One of the centl1l1 problems studied by mankind is the problem of the

5ucce55lon of form. Whatever is the ultimate nature of reahty (a55Ummg
that this a;presslon has meamn!). it i.s mdisputable that our universe IS not
chaos. We perceIVe bemgs, obJC:t:ts, things 10 which we gIVe names. These
hemgs or Ibmgs arc forms or structures endowed WIth a degrff of stablht) ;
they take up some part of space' and last for lOme period of Ilme.
Moreover. although a obJC:t:t can exist in many different guises. we
never fall to Tei:ognize 11: thiS recogniuon of the same object in the infinite
mulllpheity of Its manifestatlonl il. in itself. a problem (the claSSical
phIlosophical problem of conCe'pt) which. it seems to me. the Gestalt
psycholo&iSts alone have posed In a geometnc framework accessible to
seienhflC Investlgallon. Suppos.e thiS problem 10 be solved acconhng to
nawe m11l1l10n, giving 10 nUlslde IJungs an uislenee mdependent of our
own nbscrvaunn." Nexl we must concwe that the un Iverse we see 15 a
ceaseless creauon. evolu tion, and destrucllon of forms and thaI the pllr-
pou of science is to foresee thIS change of form and. If possible. explain 11.

R. Sden«. and the indeTerminism of phcnomcna

If the change of fnrms ... ere \0 take place at all times and place,
accord mg 10 • smgle w'ell-ddined patlern, the problem would be much
's..p..."" IIUD""" ,d.. 1<1 ........' !he tIId '" 1M dI&pIcr.
I