78 THE GREEK SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY. 



which Leucippus belonged (the Eclectic) must have 

 been, at least in its origin, strongly impressed with 

 the necessity of bringing its theories into harmony 

 with the observed course of nature. 



2. Nor was this recognition of the fundamental 

 value of experience a mere profession. The Greek 

 philosophy did, in its beginning, proceed upon ob- 

 servation. Indeed it is obvious that the principles 

 which it adopted were, in the first place, assumed in 

 order to account for some classes of facts, however 

 imperfectly they might answer their purpose. The 

 principle of things seeking their own places, was in- 

 vented in order to account for the falling and float- 

 ing of bodies. Again, Aristotle says, that heat is 

 that which brings together things of the same kind, 

 cold is that which brings together things whether of 

 the same or of different kinds : it is plain that in 

 this instance he intended by his principle to explain 

 some obvious facts, as the freezing of moist sub- 

 stances, and the separation of heterogeneous things 

 by fusion ; for, as he adds, if fire brings together 

 things which are akin, it will separate those which 

 are not akin. It would be easy to illustrate the 

 remark further, but its truth is evident from the na- 

 ture of the case ; for no principles could be accepted 

 for a moment, which were the result of an arbi- 

 trary caprice of the mind, and which were not in 

 some measure plausible, and apparently confirmed 

 by facts. 



But the works of Aristotle show, in another way, 



