He had seen in the papers the articles they were discussing, and had read them because they interested him as a development of the bases of natural science – familiar to him as he had studied in that faculty at the University but he had never connected these scientific deductions as to man's animal origin, reflex actions, biology and sociology, with those questions concerning the meaning to himself of life and death, which had of late more and more frequently occurred to him.
Levin si era spesso imbattuto negli articoli di cui si parlava e li aveva letti in riviste, per completare le sue cognizioni di laureato in scienze naturali; ma non aveva mai collegato quelle deduzioni scientifiche sull’origine zoologica dell’uomo, sui riflessi, sulla biologia o sulla sociologia, ai problemi sul significato della vita e della morte che negli ultimi tempi pur gli venivano in mente sempre e sempre più spesso.