AND ITS SELF-CONSERVATION'. 203 



modes. So that now scientists no longer speak of forces, 

 but only of modes of force. 



And this view follows necessarily from the very nature 

 of force. Precisely the same reasoning applies to the 

 total sum of force or energy as applied to a single focus. 

 To be force at all, it must present all the fundamental 

 characteristics of force throughout its whole extent. 

 Otherwise there would be, as already shown, not only 

 distinct phases or modes of force, but absolutely different, 

 and hence forever mutually exclusive forces. 



This, however, could only be through the development 

 of each force as absolute repulsion, since, physically, abso- 

 lute exclusion can mean nothing else than absolute repul- 

 sion. But thus all would possess the same characteristic. 

 Whence they would hold themselves as absolutely differ- 

 ent, one from another, through an identical characteristic. 

 They are absolutely different through their absolute 

 identity. 



And not only so, but each, as absolute repulsion or 

 differencing power, must exert its repulsion within itself, 

 as well as toward other forces. Otherwise it would be 

 unable to resist their pressure and must be reduced to 

 no-dimension. In other words, it would undergo anni- 

 hilation. And this process must go forward until but 

 one force remained. Hence, if many forces exist, it can 

 be only by and through the absolute self-repulsion of 

 each. 



But in this case, each, by its own absolute self- 

 repulsion, must expand infinitely, and thus not merely 

 thrust itself against, but also thrust itself through the 

 contiguous forces. The very power by which one force 

 would be able to exclude from itself another force, and 



