THEORY OF THE EARTH. 43 



More recently still, a philosophy, which substi- 

 tutes metaphor for reasoning, and proceeds on 

 the system of absolute identity or of pan theism, at- 

 tributes the production of all phenomena, or which, 

 in the eyes of its supporters, is the same thing, 

 all beings, to polarization, such as is manifested 

 by the two electricities ; and denominating every 

 kind of opposition or difference, whether of situa- 

 tion, of nature, or of function, by the title of Po- 

 larisation, opposes to each other, in the first place, 

 God and the universe ; then, in the universe, the 

 sun and the planets ; next, in each planet, the 

 solid and the liquid ; and, pursuing this course, 

 changing its figures and allegories according to 

 its necessities, at length arrives at the last de- 

 tails of organic species *. 



It must, however, be observed, that these are 

 what may be termed extreme examples, and that 

 all geologists have not carried the extravagance 

 of their conceptions to such a length as those 

 which we have just cited. Yet, among those who 

 have proceeded with more caution, and have not 

 searched for geological causes beyond the limits 

 of physical and chemical science, much diversity 

 and contradiction still prevail. 



* This application of pantheism to geology may be best 

 seen in the works of Oken and Steffens. 



