COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



for the moment, the three abstract-concrete sci- 

 ences) underlies the study of the whole of nature, 

 and discloses those universal truths upon which 

 a Synthesis of the widest truths disclosed by the 

 concrete sciences must repose. It investigates 

 the general phenomena of matter, motion, and 

 force ; while the concrete sciences investigate 

 these phenomena as manifested in particular 

 groups of aggregates. The primordial axiom, 

 upon which our synthetic study of the universe 

 must be founded, is one which is disclosed by 

 the analytic study of the movements of masses 

 and molecules. And thus the threefold classi- 

 fication of the sciences, by which we found it 

 necessary to replace the simple linear classifica- 

 tion of Comte, will find itself practically justi- 

 fied in the very first step which we take toward 

 the organization of scientific truths into a sys- 

 tem of Cosmic Philosophy. 



For at the bottom alike of molar physics, of 

 molecular physics, and of chemistry, there lie, 

 in fact, two universal propositions, — the one 

 relating to Matter, the other relating to Mo- 

 tion. These are the familiar propositions that 

 Matter is indestructible •, and that Motion is con- 

 tinuous. Upon the truth of this pair of closely 

 related propositions depends the validity of 

 every conclusion to which chemistry or either 

 branch of physics can attain. If, instead of 

 dealing with unalterable quantities and weights, 

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