164 ON THE PHYSICAL BASIS OF LIFE ni 



truths. If we find that the ascertainment of the 

 order of nature is facilitated by using one ter- 

 minology, or one set of symbols, rather than 

 another, it is our clear duty to use the former; 

 and no harm can accrue, so long as we bear in 

 mind, that we are dealing merely with terms and 

 symbols. 



In itself it is of little moment whether we 

 express the phaenomena of matter in terms of 

 spirit ; or the phaenomena of spirit in terms of 

 matter : matter may be regarded as a form of 

 thought, thought may be regarded as a property 

 of matter each statement has a certain relative 

 truth. But with a view to the progress of science, 

 the materialistic terminology is in every Avay to be 

 preferred. For it connects thought with the other 

 phenomena of the universe, and suggests inquiry 

 into the nature of those physical conditions, or 

 concomitants of thought, which are more or less 

 accessible to us, and a knowledge of which may, in 

 future, help us to exercise the same kind of control 

 over the world of thought, as A\C already possess 

 in respect of the material world ; whereas, the 

 alternative, or spiritualistic, terminology is utterly 

 barren, and leads to nothing but obscurity and 

 confusion of ideas. 



Thus there can be little doubt, that the fur- 

 ther science advances, the more extensively and 

 consistently will all the phenomena of Natun In 

 represented by materialistic formula; and symbols. 



