118 THE DOCTRINE OF ENERGY 



theme ; but we have not written rashly nor without 

 good grounds for asking attention. 



Science, it seems to us, postulates in Energy an 

 a-logical, unextended, real thing-in-itself in terms of 

 which the phenomena of Physics can be adequately 

 and quantifiably stated. At the same time it fur- 

 nishes Philosophy with a theory of the objectively 

 real thing-in-itself which satisfied those necessities 

 of thought by which we are constrained to interpret 

 our sense-experience by a constant reference to a 

 Reality beyond it a necessity due to our associa- 

 tion as Actors with an Energy beyond that which is 

 the seat of our Presentment. Such a view avoids 

 the incurable difficulties and contradictions involved 

 in the theory of the reality of extended material 

 substance, or in any theory, indeed, which asserts 

 the reality as presented of the sensible presenta- 

 tion. Physical Reality thus conceived is con- 

 sistently thinkable as co-existent with the thing-in- 

 itself be it ultimately Intelligence or Volition of 

 which our cognitive and conative existence is a 

 manifestation. And such a doctrine, by explain- 

 ing all phenomena as transmutations proceeding 

 (according to the definite mathematical laws pre- 

 vailing throughout the whole Universe of Energy) 

 at that point in the system which is organically 

 related to Consciousness, accounts at once for the 



