A study of characterisation in the novels of George Eliot

19.
but also allows for a degree of flexibility and creativity. This does not
mean that such flexibility or such crea.tivity is uncaused, that it lies
outside the universally operating succession of antecedent and consequent.
It just means that any concatenation of antecedents may lead to new and
unexpected consequents, although if we but knew enough we could trace
the process quite systematically. Future events, therefore, are often unpredictable,
not because they are arbitrary but because we are ignorant of
all the factors involved. Accordingly the outcome of Maggie Tulliver's
struggle against her increasing attraction for Stephen Guest cannot be
deduced by us from our '~owledge
of l!:@ characteristics. II George
Eliot warns us that although we "have known Maggie a long while, II we
need to be told, "not her characteristics, but her history, which is a
thing hardly to be predicted even from the completest knowledge of such
characteristics. II 43 Complexity confers uncertainty and unpredictability ..
Recognising this, Lewes maintains that there are "two classes of effects
markedly distinguishable as Resultants and Emergents. II 44 His theory of
Emergents constitutes his most important and original contribution to the
history of science. With Resultants the process is clear, "every resultant
is clearly traceable in its components, because these are homogeneous
and commensurable. It is otherwise," however, "with emergents, when, instead
of adding measurable motion to measurable motion, or things of one
kind to other individuals of their kind, there is a co-operation of
things of unlike kinds. II 45 Thus he concludes that
although each effect is the resultant of its components, the product
of its factors, we cannot always trace the steps of the process,
SO as to see in the product the mode of operation of each
factor. In this latter case, I propose to call the effect an
emergent. It arises out of the combined agenCi~46but. in a form
which does not display the agents in action ••• I.,._:~>fl~re all
effects simply resultants, in the sense here specified, our deducti
ve power would be almost absolute; a mathematical 'expression
would include all phenomena. It is precisely because effects
are mostly emergents that Deduction is insecure, and Expe:riepce is
requisite to confirm even the most plausible deductions. 4;]'~'