440 THE INSTABILITY OF THE HOMOGENEOUS. 



relations they must be rendered to a proportionate extent 

 heterogeneous; since, force being persistent, the different 

 quantities of it falling on the different parts, must 

 work in them different quantities of effect — different 

 changes. Yet one more kindred deduction is re- 



quired to complete the argument. We may, by parallel 

 reasoning, reach the conclusion that, even apart from the 

 action of any external force, the equilibrium of a homo- 

 geneous aggregate must be destroyed by the unequal ac- 

 tions of its parts on each other. That mutual influence 

 which produces aggregation (not to mention other mutual 

 influences) must work different effects on the different parts; 

 since they are severalty exposed to it in unlike amounts and 

 directions. This will be clearly seen on remembering that 

 the portions of which the whole is made up, may be sever- 

 ally regarded as minor wholes; that on each of these minor 

 wholes, the action of the entire aggregate then becomes 

 an external incident force; that such external incident 

 force must, as above shown, work unlike changes in the 

 parts of any such minor whole ; and that if the minor wholes 

 are severally thus rendered heterogeneous, the entire aggre- 

 gate is rendered homogeneous. 



The instability of the homogeneous is thus deducible 

 from that primordial truth which underlies our intelligence. 

 One stable homogeneity only, is hypothetically possible. If 

 centres of force, absolutely uniform in their powers, were 

 diffused with absolute uniformity through unlimited space, 

 they would remain in equilibrium. This however, though a 

 verbally intelligible supposition, is one that cannot be repre- 

 sented in thought; since unlimited space is inconceivable. 

 But all finite forms of the homogeneous — all forms of it 

 which we can know or conceive, must inevitably lapse into 

 heterogeneity. In three several ways does the persistence 

 of force necessitate this. Setting external agencies aside, 

 each unit of a homogeneous whole must be differently affect- 

 ed from any of the rest by the aggregate action of the rest 



