MATTER, MOTION, AND FORCE 



gle unit of force can ever be added to or sub- 

 tracted from the sum total at any moment ex- 

 isting, our entire physical science is, as we have 

 seen, a mere delusion. In such case, it is a de- 

 lusion to believe that action and reaction are 

 always equal, that the strongest bow, bent by 

 the strongest muscles, will always send its arrow 

 to the greatest distance if otherwise unimpeded 

 — it is a delusion to believe that the pressure 

 of the atmosphere and its temperature must 

 always affect the height of enclosed columns of 

 alcohol or mercury, or that a single molecule of 

 nitrogen will always just suffice to saturate three 

 molecules of chlorine. And this being the case, 

 our concrete sciences also fall to the ground, 

 and our confidence in the stability of nature is 

 shown to be baseless ; since for aught we can 

 say to the contrary, the annihilation of a few 

 units of the earth's centrifugal force may cause 

 us to fall upon the sun to-morrow. 



But how do we know that all science is not a 

 delusion, since there still exist upon the earth's 

 surface persons who will tell us that it is so ? 

 Why do we so obstinately refuse to doubt the 

 constancy of the power manifested in nature ? 

 What proof have we that no force is ever cre- 

 ated or destroyed ? 



Logically speaking, we have no proof. An 

 axiom which lies below all framable proposi- 

 tions cannot be deductively demonstrated. Be- 



vol. n. *45 



