256 MAN AND THE WORLD. 



cannot maintain that of Time. Just as the infinity 

 of Space, combined with the finiteness of Time, 

 resulted in the destruction of energy by dissipation, 

 so conversely, the finitude of Space, combined with 

 the infinity of Time, results in the destruction of 

 energy by equilibration. For in infinite Time a 

 finite world must have gone through all possible 

 changes already, and thus have arrived at a con- 

 dition of equilibrium and a changeless state of 

 Being sharply contrasted with its actual Becoming. 



As to the infinity of Time, it contradicts, under 

 any circumstances, the conception of the world as a 

 process, i.e., as a whole in Time. This contra- 

 diction gives us no choice between denying the 

 infinity of Time and admitting that the search for 

 a beginning is comparable to the labour of the 

 Danaids, that common sense, which inquires into 

 the *' whence " of things In order to discover their 

 nature, is but the crude basis of subtler error, that 

 the Historical Method is futile, that all our theories 

 of Evolution are false, and that the nature of things 

 is really unknowable. Yet science is surely entitled 

 to struggle hard against the relinquishment of such 

 approved principles, against the demolition of the 

 whole fabric of knowledge, in deference to what 

 cannot but appear to it a mere metaphysical pre- 

 judice. 



And not only is the finiteness of Time essential 

 to knowledge, but it also carries with it that of 

 Space. For a world finite in Time but infinite in 

 Space cannot be included under a finite process, 

 and hence baffles all attempts at grasping it by an 

 intelligible conception. A spatially infinite world 

 cannot be said to be evolving or engaged in a pro- 

 cess at all, i.e., to be passing from state A to state 



