5. ENTILECHY AND MECHANICS 



a. THE FOUNDATIONS OF MECHANICAL PHYSICS 



On a possible Qualitative Science that is Complete 



We now leave the realm of energetics, with all its 

 consequences, and turn our attention to another possible 

 interpretation of nature. 



Ordinary qualitative energetics is by no means a 

 complete system, even of inorganic nature : the problem 

 of matter, in other words, the problem of the " being 

 material," of the " being a body," is almost forgotten. But 

 the problem, though neglected, is still there. Now it must 

 be granted that a science of inorganic nature seems possible 

 which should not put aside the problem of materiality 

 and should yet remain qualitative. Such a possible science 

 would have to deal not only with qualitative energies and 

 intensities, but also with the concept of qualitative forces, 

 defined on the analogy of " force " in mechanics, and would 

 regard ultimately the inorganic universe as a system of 

 geometrical points, from which lines of different kinds of 

 qualitative forces proceed representing heat, electricity, 

 chemical affinities, and the different characteristics of the 

 states of aggregation. The word " quality " would have two 



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