84 ONTOLOGY. 



as conditioned by the change of electrical poles. Colours 

 also are only electrical productions. Light itself is simi- 

 lar to an electrical tension of the aether. 



413. Electricity is an action of the periphery or limit 

 and thus of the surface of the globe. The surface of the 

 globe is, however, everywhere + - without centre. The 

 principles of electricity are therefore eternally separated 

 without having a middle point, as occurs in magnetism. 

 The electrical poles live in eternal animosity, because they 

 have no point of union. Such is then the essence of electri- 

 city. Electricity is therefore only a function of surfaces 

 without any line. It clings only to the upper surface of the 

 bodies, and does not penetrate into their thickness. It 

 is only the tension of the surfaces of bodies against each 

 other, of the apices of divided radii. 



414. The air is the periphery, tine limit or boundary 

 of the earth. Electricity is therefore the spirit of air. 

 It is in its most active state in that stratum of air which 

 is in contact with the earth, because there the limits are 

 situated. Upon this lightning depends. 



415. Electricity, as an aerial function, is terrestrial heat. 

 Both are therefore conducted by the same rigid linear 

 bodies and isolated by the same. The isolation of elec- 

 tricity coalesces with absence of form, or with the transi- 

 tion of denser bodies into air. 



416. Electricity is an antagonism between air on the 

 one side and water and earth upon the other. By these 

 therefore two kinds of operation are posited in the air. 



417. While electricity is the tension of air with the 

 ofcher elements, it is also the tension of the principles 

 themselves of air. Electricity is a twofold character 

 appertaining to the two principles of air. The tension of 

 aether and of substance, thus the tension of fire repeated 

 upon the two elementary bodies of air, is electricity. 

 Electricity exists under two forms, as the electricity of the 

 substance or body of fire, and as that of the planet. 

 These two conditions are perhaps incorrectly named + E 

 and E, or positive and negative electricity. 



418. The + E is the more energetic, active in itself, 



