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food as it has used during its life； and an amount of fuel which
would generate as much heat as its body if burned immediately after
death。' I do not know how he has found this out； but he is a man
of sciencehow then can it be objected against the future vitality
of the machines that they are； in their present infancy； at the
beck and call of beings who are themselves incapable of originating
mechanical energy？
〃The main point； however； to be observed as affording cause for
alarm is； that whereas animals were formerly the only stomachs of
the machines； there are now many which have stomachs of their own；
and consume their food themselves。 This is a great step towards
their becoming； if not animate； yet something so near akin to it；
as not to differ more widely from our own life than animals do from
vegetables。 And though man should remain； in some respects； the
higher creature； is not this in accordance with the practice of
nature； which allows superiority in some things to animals which
have； on the whole； been long surpassed？ Has she not allowed the
ant and the bee to retain superiority over man in the organisation
of their communities and social arrangements； the bird in
traversing the air； the fish in swimming； the horse in strength and
fleetness； and the dog in self…sacrifice？
〃It is said by some with whom I have conversed upon this subject；
that the machines can never be developed into animate or quasi…
animate existences； inasmuch as they have no reproductive system；
nor seem ever likely to possess one。 If this be taken to mean that
they cannot marry； and that we are never likely to see a fertile
union between two vapour…engines with the young ones playing about
the door of the shed； however greatly we might desire to do so； I
will readily grant it。 But the objection is not a very profound
one。 No one expects that all the features of the now existing
organisations will be absolutely repeated in an entirely new class
of life。 The reproductive system of animals differs widely from
that of plants； but both are reproductive systems。 Has nature
exhausted her phases of this power？
〃Surely if a machine is able to reproduce another machine
systematically； we may say that it has a reproductive system。 What
is a reproductive system； if it be not a system for reproduction？
And how few of the machines are there which have not been produced
systematically by other machines？ But it is man that makes them do
so。 Yes； but is it not insects that make many of the plants
reproductive； and would not whole families of plants die out if
their fertilisation was not effected by a class of agents utterly
foreign to themselves？ Does any one say that the red clover has no
reproductive system because the humble bee （and the humble bee
only） must aid and abet it before it can reproduce？ No one。 The
humble bee is a part of the reproductive system of the clover。
Each one of ourselves has sprung from minute animalcules whose
entity was entirely distinct from our own； and which acted after
their kind with no thought or heed of what we might think about it。
These little creatures are part of our own reproductive system；
then why not we part of that of the machines？
〃But the machines which reproduce machinery do not reproduce
machines after their own kind。 A thimble may be made by machinery；
but it was not made by； neither will it ever make； a thimble。
Here； again； if we turn to nature we shall find abundance of
analogies which will teach us that a reproductive system may be in
full force without the thing produced being of the same kind as
that which produced it。 Very few creatures reproduce after their
own kind； they reproduce something which has the potentiality of
becoming that which their parents were。 Thus the butterfly lays an
egg； which egg can become a caterpillar； which caterpillar can
become a chrysalis； which chrysalis can become a butterfly； and
though I freely grant that the machines cannot be said to have more
than the germ of a true reproductive system at present； have we not
just seen that they have only recently obtained the germs of a
mouth and stomach？ And may not some stride be made in the
direction of true reproduction which shall be as great as that
which has been recently taken in the direction of true feeding？
〃It is possible that the system when developed may be in many cases
a vicarious thing。 Certain classes of machines may be alone
fertile； while the rest discharge other functions in the mechanical
system； just as the great majority of ants and bees have nothing to
do with the continuation of their species； but get food and store
it； without thought of breeding。 One cannot expect the parallel to
be complete or nearly so； certainly not now； and probably never；
but is there not enough analogy existing at the present moment； to
make us feel seriously uneasy about the future； and to render it
our duty to check the evil while we can still do so？ Machines can
within certain limits beget machines of any class； no matter how
different to themselves。 Every class of machines will probably
have its special mechanical breeders； and all the higher ones will
owe their existence to a large number of parents and not to two
only。
〃We are misled by considering any complicated machine as a single
thing； in truth it is a city or society； each member of which was
bred truly after its kind。 We see a machine as a whole； we call it
by a name and individualise it； we look at our own limbs； and know
that the combination forms an individual which springs from a
single centre of reproductive action； we therefore assume that
there can be no reproductive action which does not arise from a
single centre； but this assumption is unscientific； and the bare
fact that no vapour…engine was ever made entirely by another； or
two others； of its own kind； is not sufficient to warrant us in
saying that vapour…engines have no reproductive system。 The truth
is that each part of every vapour…engine is bred by its own special
breeders； whose function it is to breed that part； and that only；
while the combination of the parts into a whole forms another
department of the mechanical reproductive system； which is at
present exceedingly complex and difficult to see in its entirety。
〃Complex now； but how much simpler and more intelligibly organised
may it not become in another hundred thousand years？ or in twenty
thousand？ For man at present believes that his interest lies in
that direction； he spends an incalculable amount of labour and time
and thought in making machines breed always better and better； he
has already succeeded in effecting much that at one time appeared
impossible； and there seem no limits to the results of accumulated
improvements if they are allowed to descend with modification from
generation to generation。 It must always be remembered that man's
body is what it is through having been moulded into its present
shape by the chances and changes of many millions of years； but
that his organisation never advanced with anything like the
rapidity with which that of the machines is advancing。 This is the
most alarmi