ABSTRACT
The various things of this world are not random, unrelated existences, but are all constituents of one large holistic system. In the last chapter I discussed the society of living organisms in some detail in order to illustrate the world as a single structure composed of these elements. To review only the major points, the individual living thing is a constituent of a species society in which it is born, lives and dies, and it is distinct from other individuals of the same species. The species society itself is one constituent of a synusia and is distinct from other species societies. Both the species society and the synusia ultimately have their foundation in a kin relationship. In the structure of this kind of phylogenetic community, a basically temporal development has become spatial; I regard this also as one mode of diversification of living things. In contrast to this, instead of temporal things becoming spatial as expected in the synusial complex, those which should become spatial have become temporal. This was considered to be another mode of development of living things. Therefore, we cannot consider the basis of the synusial complex to be restricted to a phylogenetic relationship, but must recognize that a territorial relationship also already exists there. Where a synusial complex further develops and separates into several synusial complexes, their relationship is based on severance, but it is a breaking of blood ties; the territorial basis of the society's constitution is not lost. Instead, as kin relations become weaker, the territorial foundation would become more clearly recognizable. What we recognize as concrete communities of living things can be seen on closer analysis to be several separate synusial complexes or synusiae, but the whole society is always recognized by us as this kind of territorial community of living things. This is why ecology attempted primarily to classify communities of living things geographically or physiognomically.
