郎尼根談發展義，凸顯其七重特性：即「冒出原理」、「匯通原理」、「目的原理」、「發展原理」、「分化增進」、「小變通」、「大變通」；藉此下定義指出：「發展」意謂世事持續地應用「冒出」與「匯通」二原理，而衍生一系列連貫而具變通的動態分化增長，以達致更高整合，並間於底層雜多及其轉進當中，交錯著相繼的張力。郎尼根尚且引用「生物」、「動物」、「人類」的發展整合以作為例証，來彰顯此七重特性的環環相扣。

In his appropriation of the notion of development, Lonergan highlights its seven elements including the principles of emergence, correspondence, finality, development, increasing differentiation, minor flexibility, and major flexibility. Besides using the above elements to assemble an attempted definition, Lonergan also makes use of the integrations of plant, of animal, and of man as illustrations, thus paving the way for further understanding the essential meaning of the genetic method in the next section of the same chapter.