48 THE WORLD-ENEKGY 



case a conviction arrived at, apparently, by no very 

 explicit dialectic lias long since become general under 

 the form of the " impenetrability " of matter, which term 

 is defined as meaning that " no two portions of ' matter' 

 can occupy the same space at the same time." 



It is especially important to notice, too, that though 

 presented in the negative form, the definition is expressed 

 as having universal and absolute validity. If no two 

 portions of matter can occupy the same space at the same 

 time, then we but alter the mode of statement in saying 

 that every portion of matter is necessarily related as repel- 

 lant to every other portion of matter that every portion 

 of matter exists not merely by itself, or in isolation, but 

 also for all other portions of matter ; that is, in essential 

 relation to them. Nor is the mutual repulsion of all 

 portions of matter for one another a merely negative rela- 

 tion. It is also, as we have seen, a positive relation or 

 connection, which we can only name attraction. 



If again, we still further consider the nature of repul- 

 sion, it is evident that this universal characteristic or 

 property of matter is essentially a strain of separation. 

 And yet a strain in one direction, let us repeat, necessarily 

 implies a strain in the opposite direction. Already, in 

 the very conception of repulsion between two bodies, 

 there is necessarily implied that the bodies ai^ related to 

 each other positively as well as negatively. For the fact 

 that the action of a force is required to separate them, or 

 to widen the already existing separation between them, 

 necessarily presupposes that there is already in action a 

 force drawing them toward each other. Repulsion would 

 therefore be absolutely meaningless were there not con- 

 stantly presupposed in it its own correlative phase of 



