288 



SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT. 



of existence.^ This view was considerably strengthened 

 by the popular interpretation of the teaching of modern 

 astronomy, which laid great stress on the periodicity of 

 the planetary movements, and the stability and inherent 

 readjustment of the solar system. Also the insight 

 gained by the first application of chemical knowledge to 



' The idea of recurrent, periodic 

 repetition seems opposed to the 

 modern idea of progress and de- 

 velopment as taught by Leibniz 

 and Herder abroad, by Spencer 

 in this country ; still it seems 

 almost impossible in a purely 

 mechanical system to avoid intro- 

 ducing the conception of an ulti- 

 mate recurrence, so long as one 

 deals with finite space, time, or 

 number, however great they may 

 be. The only escape seems to be in 

 assuming an infinite process or an 

 immaterial principle which is not 

 subject to mathematical treatment, 

 the latter being inherently one of 

 repetition. It is interesting to note 

 how Herbert Spencer at the end of 

 ' First Principles ' relapses into the 

 cyclical conception : " Thus we are 

 led to the conclusion that the 

 entire process of things, as dis- 

 played in the aggregate of the 

 visible universe, is analogous to the 

 entire process of things as displayed 

 in the smallest aggregates. Motion 

 as well as matter being fixed in 

 quantit}', it would seem that the 

 change in the distribution of 

 matter which motion effects, item- 

 ing to a limit in whichever direc- 

 tion it is carried, the indestructible 

 motion thereupon necessitates a 

 reverse distribution. Apparently, 

 the universally coexistent forces of 

 attraction and repulsion, which 

 necessitate rhythm in all minor 

 changes throughout the universe, 

 also necessitate rhythm in the 

 totality of changes — alternate eras 

 of evolution and dissolution. And 



thus there is suggested the concep- 

 tion of a past during which there 

 have been successive evolutions 

 analogous to that which is now 

 going on ; and a future during 

 which successive other such evolu- 

 tions may go on — ever the same in 

 principle but never the same in 

 concrete result " (' First Prin- 

 ciples,' 1st ed., p. 536). The other 

 great system of modern philosophy, 

 which aims at a reconciliation of 

 the mechanical and spiritual aspects 

 — the philosophy of Lotze — though 

 it dwells less than Spencer's system 

 on the genetic problem, gives a 

 different view of cosmic develop- 

 ment. " The series of cosmic 

 periods cannot be a number of 

 phases, in each of which the one 

 purpc-^e of the universe does in fact 

 maintain itself : it must rather be 

 a chain, each link of which is bound 

 together with every other in the 

 unity of one plan. The One can 

 manifest itself in various forms 

 only when such variety of forms 

 is necessary for the expression of 

 its meaning — in a definite order of 

 succession only when this order 

 corresponds to a craving for develop- 

 ment in its nature. As we required 

 that each section of the worlds 

 history should present a harmony 

 of the elements firmly knit through- 

 out, so we must now require that 

 the successive order of these sections 

 shall compoise the unity of an on- 

 ward advancing melody " (' Micro- 

 cosmus,' Eng. transl. by Hamilton 

 and Jones, Book IV. chap. 3). 



