152 THE WORLD-ENERGY 



is the primal element that is, the most elementary 

 phase of existence and from the aggregation of such 

 the whole extended world is constituted. It is to be 

 still more explicitly stated, too, that any given " atom " 

 is merely a more or less momentary unit arising through 

 the ceaseless process of the World-Energy, and that such 

 unit must inevitably be dissolved and rediffused through 

 the same perpetual Process. Thus not only is matter 

 infinitely divisible in the merely abstract metaphysical 

 sense. It is also forever undergoing infinite division in 

 the "concrete" physical sense. Here, too, it may be 

 remarked by the way, we get a glimpse of such truth as 

 there is in the doctrine of emanation and absorption; 

 though, doubtless, in a symbolical sense, that doctrine 

 has a much higher significance than this merely physical 

 one of the emanating atoms. 



It may help to make clearer what is here meant by a 

 force-center, or nucleus of a force-sphere to say, by way 

 of rough illustration, that the earth itself, with its rela- 

 tively solid nucleus, and liquid (oceanic) exterior, 

 extended indefinitely into space by the envelope of 

 atmosphere, shading imperceptibly into the "ether," is 

 but a gigantic atom pursuing its complex motions in the 

 vast molecule of the solar system. In other words, the 

 atom is here conceived to be but the minute and relatively 

 dense core of a sphere of force, infinitely extended indeed, 

 but also attenuated more and more in proportion to the 

 distance from its center. 



And here let us remark, by the way, that we have in 

 what precedes the rational explanation of . " action at a 

 distance/' The "explanation," indeed, explains it out of 

 existence. There is and can be no such thing as action 



