88 THE DOCTRINE OF ENERGY 



postulate the reality of Matter as well. Potential 

 Energy adequately supplies the demand for a real 

 substratum of which phenomena are the manifesta- 

 tion. 



The whole question is very well worth the atten- 

 tion, not only of scientific students but of meta- 

 physicians. The inquiry will distinctly gain if it 

 receive the auxiliary attention of those who have 

 studied the process by which we form our mental 

 conceptions, and whilst the students of Physics 

 deserve the honours of discovery, they cannot safely 

 dispense with such assistance, for which the present 

 confused and inconsistent state of the fundamental 

 definitions of Physical Science most urgently calls. 

 There is here a neglected but very interesting field 

 for the metaphysician's efforts. 



Recent scientific writings contain enough to show 

 us that men of science are already beginning to 

 recognise not only the inconsistency of the theory 

 of two real things, but the dominating significance 

 of the conception of Energy, and are gradually 

 coming to claim for the conception of Matter little 

 more than recognition as the vehicle of energetic 

 transmutation. Let us then for the moment accept 

 the position that Science ridding itself of redundant 

 theory postulates Energy as the real thing-in- 

 itself, in terms of which it frames its statement o 1 



