the unseen world and other essays-第7章

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rse　will　ultimately　be　appropriated　by　the　invisible；〃　they　go　on　to　imagine；　〃at　least　as　a　possibility；　that　the　separate　existence　of　the　visible　universe　will　share　the　same　fate；　so　that　we　shall　have　no　huge；　useless；　inert　mass　existing　in　after　ages　to　remind　the　passer…by　of　a　form　of　energy　and　a　species　of　matter　that　is　long　since　out　of　date　and　functionally　effete。　Why　should　not　the　universe　bury　its　dead　out　of　sight？〃

In　one　respect　perhaps　no　more　stupendous　subject　of　contemplation　than　this　has　ever　been　offered　to　the　mind　of　man。　In　comparison　with　the　length　of　time　thus　required　to　efface　the　tiny　individual　atom；　the　entire　cosmical　career　of　our　solar　system；　or　even　that　of　the　whole　starry　galaxy；　shrinks　into　utter　nothingness。　Whether　we　shall　adopt　the　conclusion　suggested　must　depend　on　the　extent　of　our　speculative　audacity。　We　have　seen　wherein　its　probability　consists；　but　in　reasoning　upon　such　a　scale　we　may　fitly　be　cautious　and　modest　in　accepting　inferences；　and　our　authors；　we　may　be　sure；　would　be　the　first　to　recommend　such　modesty　and　caution。　Even　at　the　dimensions　to　which　our　theorizing　has　here　grown；　we　may　for　instance　discern　the　possible　alternative　of　a　simultaneous　or　rhythmically　successive　generation　and　destruction　of　vortex…atoms　which　would　go　far　to　modify　the　conclusion　just　suggested。　But　here　we　must　pause　for　a　moment；　reserving　for　a　second　paper　the　weightier　thoughts　as　to　futurity　which　our　authors　have　sought　to　enwrap　in　these　sublime　physical　speculations。



PART　SECOND。


UP　to　this　point；　however　remote　from　ordinary　every…day　thoughts　may　be　the　region　of　speculation　which　we　have　been　called　upon　to　traverse；　we　have　still　kept　within　the　limits　of　legitimate　scientific　hypothesis。　Though　we　have　ventured　for　a　goodly　distance　into　the　unknown；　we　have　not　yet　been　required　to　abandon　our　base　of　operations　in　the　known。　Of　the　views　presented　in　the　preceding　paper；　some　are　wellnigh　certainly　established；　some　are　probable；　some　have　a　sort　of　plausibility；　othersto　which　we　have　refrained　from　giving　assentmay　possibly　be　true；　but　none　are　irretrievably　beyond　the　jurisdiction　of　scientific　tests。　No　suggestion　has　so　far　been　broached　which　a　very　little　further　increase　of　our　scientific　knowledge　may　not　show　to　be　either　eminently　probable　or　eminently　improbable。　We　have　kept　pretty　clear　of　mere　subjective　guesses；　such　as　men　may　wrangle　about　forever　without　coming　to　any　conclusion。　The　theory　of　the　nebular　origin　of　our　planetary　system　has　come　to　command　the　assent　of　all　persons　qualified　to　appreciate　the　evidence　on　which　it　is　based；　and　the　more　immediate　conclusions　which　we　have　drawn　from　that　theory　are　only　such　as　are　commonly　drawn　by　astronomers　and　physicists。　The　doctrine　of　an　intermolecular　and　interstellar

ether　is　wrapped　up　in　the　well…established　undulatory　theory　of　light。　Such　is　by　no　means　the　case　with　Sir　William　Thomson's　vortex…atom　theory；　which　to…day　is　in　somewhat　the　same　condition　as　the　undulatory　theory　of　Huyghens　two　centuries　ago。　This；　however；　is　none　the　less　a　hypothesis　truly　scientific　in　conception；　and　in　the　speculations　to　which　it　leads　us　we　are　still　sure　of　dealing　with　views　that　admit　at　least　of　definite　expression　and　treatment。　In　other　words；　though　our　study　of　the　visible　universe　has　led　us　to　the　recognition　of　a　kind　of　unseen　world　underlying　the　world　of　things　that　are　seen；　yet　concerning　the　economy　of　this　unseen　world　we　have　not　been　led　to　entertain　any　hypothesis　that　has　not　its　possible　justification　in　our　experiences　of　visible　phenomena。

We　are　now　called　upon；　following　in　the　wake　of　our　esteemed　authors；　to　venture　on　a　different　sort　of　exploration；　in　which　we　must　cut　loose　altogether　from　our　moorings　in　the　world　of　which　we　have　definite　experience。　We　are　invited　to　entertain　suggestions　concerning　the　peculiar　economy　of　the　invisible　portion　of　the　universe　which　we　have　no　means　of　subjecting　to　any　sort　of　test　of　probability；　either　experimental　or　deductive。　These　suggestions　are；　therefore；　not　to　be　regarded　as　properly　scientific；　but；　with　this　word　of　caution；　we　may　proceed　to　show　what　they　are。

Compared　with　the　life　and　death　of　cosmical　systems　which　we　have　heretofore　contemplated；　the　life　and　death　of　individuals　of　the　human　race　may　perhaps　seem　a　small　matter；　yet　because　we　are　ourselves　the　men　who　live　and　die；　the　small　event　is　of　vastly　greater　interest　to　us　than　the　grand　series　of　events　of　which　it　is　part　and　parcel。　It　is　natural　that　we　should　be　more　interested　in　the　ultimate　fate　of　humanity　than　in　the　fate　of　a　world　which　is　of　no　account　to　us　save　as　our　present　dwelling…place。　Whether　the　human　soul　is　to　come　to　an　end　or　not　is　to　us　a　more　important　question　than　whether　the　visible　universe；　with　its　matter　and　energy；　is　to　be　absorbed　in　an　invisible　ether。　It　is　indeed　only　because　we　are　interested　in　the　former　question　that　we　are　so　curious　about　the　latter。　If　we　could　dissociate　ourselves　from　the　material　universe；　our　habitat；　we　should　probably　speculate　much　less　about　its　past　and　future。　We　care　very　little　what　becomes　of　the　black　ball　of　the　earth；　after　all　life　has　vanished　from　its　surface；　or；　if　we　care　at　all　about　it；　it　is　only　because　our　thoughts　about　the　career　of　the　earth　are　necessarily　mixed　up　with　our　thoughts　about　life。　Hence　in　considering　the　probable　ultimate　destiny　of　the　physical　universe；　our　innermost　purpose　must　be　to　know　what　is　to　become　of　all　this　rich　and　wonderful　life　of　which　the　physical　universe　is　the　theatre。　Has　it　all　been　developed；　apparently　at　almost　infinite　waste　of　effort；　only　to　be　abolished　again　before　it　has　attained　to　completeness；　or　does　it　contain　or　shelter　some　indestructible　element　which　having　drawn　sustenance　for　a　while　from　the　senseless　turmoil　of　physical　phenomena　shall　still　survive　their　final　decay？　This　question　is　closely　connected　with　the　time…honoured　question　of　the　meaning；　purpose；　or　tendency　of　the　world。　In　the　career　of　the　world　is　life　an　end；　or　a　means　toward　an　end；　or　only　an　incidental　phenomenon　in　which　we　can　discover　no　meaning？　Contemporary　theologians　seem　generally　to　believe　that　one　necessary　result　of　modern　scientific　inquiry　must　be　the　destruction　of　the　belief　in　immortal　life；　since　against　every　thoroughgoing　expounder　of　scientific　knowledge　they　seek　to　hurl　the　charge　of　〃materialism。〃　Their　doubts；　however；　are　not　shared　by　our　authors；　thorough　men　of　science　as　they　are；　though　their　mode　of　dealing　with　the　question　may　not　be　such　as　we　can　well　adopt。　While　upholding　the　doctrine　of　evolution；　and　all　the　so…called　〃materialistic〃　views　of　modern　science；　they　not　only　regard　the　hypothesis　of　a　future　life　as　admissible；　but　they　even　go　so　far　as　to　propound　a　physical　theory　as　to　the　nature　of　existence　after　death。　Let　us　see　what　this　physical　theory　is。

As　far　as　the　visible　universe　is　concerned；　we　do　not　find　in　it　any　evidence　of　immortality　or　of　permanence　of　any　sort；　unless　it　be　in　the　sum　of　potential　and　kinetic　energies　on　the　persistency　of　which　depends　our　principle　of　continuity。　In　ordinary　language　〃the　stars　in　their　courses〃　serve　as　symbols　of　permanence；　yet　we　have　found　reason　to　regard　them　as　but　temporary　phenomena。　So；　in　the　language　of　our　authors；　〃if　we　take　the　individual　man；　we　find　that　he　lives　his　short　tale　of　years；　and　that　then　the　visible　machinery　which　connects　him　with　the　past；　as　well　as　that　which　enables　him　to　act　in　the　present；　falls　into　ruin　and　is　brought　to　an　end。　If　any　germ　or　potentiality　remains；　it　is　certainly　not　connected　with　the　visible　order　of　things。〃　In　like　manner　our　race　is　pretty　sure　to　come　to　an　end　long　before　the　destruction　of　the　planet　from　which　it　now　gets　its　sustenance。　And　in　our　authors　opinion　even　the　universe　will　by　and　by　become　〃old　and　effete；　no　less　truly　than　the　individual：　it　is　a　glorious　garment　this　visible　universe；　but　not　an　immortal　one；　we　must　look　elsewhere　if　we　are　to　be　clothed　with　immortality　as　with　a　garment。〃

It　is　at　this