50 THE WORLD-ENERGY 



of resistance, but rather because of the feeble attraction 

 between particles in other directions. 



But let us trace out the nature of attraction in the same 

 way as that in which we examined into the nature of 

 repulsion. Assume the same series of particles, and 

 regard them now under the aspect of attraction. Remem- 

 ber also that attraction, to be attraction at all, must be 

 mutual. No relation can be wholly one-sided. 



Each particle in the series, then, attracts and is in turn 

 attracted by every other. Applying this in detail, (3) 

 evidently stands in the relation of mutual attraction with 

 (1) and (2) on one side, and with (4) and (5) on the other. 

 But in this double relation it is drawn at the same time 

 in contrary directions. And since the drawing is partly 

 its own, it draws itself in contrary directions. 



But this drawing in contrary directions thus proves to 

 be an opposition of the particle against itself, tending to 

 separate it from itself. So that the middle point of the 

 central particle as the " center of gravity" of the whole 

 series is precisely the point where gravity cancels itself 

 and becomes null ; or rather it is the point where gravity, 

 or attraction, undergoes transformation into its own oppo- 

 site, that is, into repulsion. And this must be true in 

 greater or less degree of every intermediate particle in 

 any series, since such intermediate particle must, in the 

 very fact of its being intermediate, be drawn, and hence 

 must draw itself, in opposite directions at the same time. 



Thus attraction proves to involve not merely the 

 approach of particles toward each 'other, but also their 

 separation from each other nay, it involves with each 

 and every particle a tendency toward separation from 

 itself. For every particle situated between two other 



