XIV
Inorganic Matter is Dual and Hermaphrodite. Life breaks up this Neuter counterpoise, and progressively unlocks and segregates, and thus reveals and specialises the inherent attributes of Sex
Phenomena of Duality characterise not Living Matter only, but Inorganic Matter too. The elemental atom is never found manifesting singly, but always as two atoms coupled together, in the form of "the molecule"; these mated atoms being of opposite electrical potential.
And since Living Matter has evolved out of Inorganic Matter—what is to be inferred but that the duality of the living cell is the evolution, on the plane of Life, of the duality of the chemical molecule?
Further, that the duality of living forms in terms of sex-characteristics is the evolution, on the plane of Living Faculty, of the duality alike of the living cell and of the chemical molecule; the two sexes representing, respectively, the contrary inherences of all these dualities, specialised and ever further intensifying in the contrary trends of the opposite Sex-traits of Male and Female.
The elemental molecule is seen thus to be hybrid, or hermaphrodite, in constitution, precisely as the living cell and the living body are. While that both living cells and inorganic crystals reproduce, proves factors of Sex differentiated and functioning in them.
The inertia of Matter is due to the hermaphrodite state; its contrary Sex-impulses interlocking and nullifying one another. Life breaks up this neuter state of equipoise, by increasingly segregating the dual-sex-inherences and evolving each along its own intrinsic trend; thereby engendering between their dual factors fructifying interoperations which result in the motions of Growth and other vital processes.
Growth is a phenomenon of Reproduction. Living cells increase their substance by germination of their bi-sexual elements. Attaining maturity, a cell divides into two cells, each of which by way of similar processes develops into a mature cell.
And since for all Change, two (or more) contrary impulses are necessary, and since Reproduction is a function of Sex, what is to be inferred but that Evolution and Growth and all other phenomena of living cells result from oppositions, co-operations and correlations of the contrary impetus and processes of two orders of sex-factors present therein? By way alone of their bi-sexuality, are cells, both animal and vegetable, able to reproduce the cell-offspring required by living organisms for processes of growth, of function and repair.