COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



necessity be manifested in alternating eras both 

 general and local, of Evolution and Dissolution, 

 — eras in which now the concentration of Mat- 

 ter and dissipation of Motion, and now the dif- 

 fusion of Matter and absorption of Motion, pre- 

 dominate, — eras which may be short, as in the 

 duration of a snow-crystal or of a butterfly's life, 

 or long, as in the duration of our planetary 

 system. It has been proved that the process 

 of Evolution, during which Matter is chiefly be- 

 ing concentrated while Motion is chiefly being 

 lost, must, under certain assigned conditions, 

 result in a continuous change from a state of 

 homogeneity, indefiniteness, and incoherence to 

 a state of heterogeneity, definiteness, and coher- 

 ence. 



With the aid of these demonstrated truths 

 of Physics, we have surveyed the history of the 

 knowable universe, intent upon finding some 

 provisional answer to the time-honoured ques- 

 tion of Philosophy — whence came we, what 

 are we, and whither do we tend ? Throughout 

 all the provinces of nature we have traced that 

 aspect of the stupendous process of Evolution, 

 which consists in the transition from indefinite 

 incoherent homogeneity to definite coherent 

 heterogeneity. We have seen it exemplified in 

 the development of our planetary system from 

 a relatively homogeneous ball of vapour. We 

 have witnessed it as shown in the increasing phy- 

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