the unseen world and other essays-第7章

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　density　or　ponderability？　Why　is　a　diamond　any　more　chargeable　with　〃grossness〃　than　a　cubic　centimetre　of　hydrogen？　Obviously　such　fancies　are　purely　of　mythologic　parentage。　Now　the　luminiferous　ether；　upon　which　our　authors　make　such　extensive　demands；　may　be　physically　〃ethereal〃　enough；　in　spite　of　the　enormous　elasticity　which　leads　Professor　Jevons　to　characterize　it　as　〃adamantine〃；　but　most　assuredly　we　have　not　the　slightest　reason　for　speaking　of　it　as　〃immaterial〃　or　〃spiritual。〃　Though　we　are　unable　to　weigh　it　in　the　balance；　we　at　least　know　it　as　a　transmitter　of　undulatory　movements；　the　size　and　shape　of　which　we　can　accurately　measure。　Its　force…relations　with　ponderable　matter　are　not　only　universally　and　incessantly　maintained；　but　they　have　that　precisely　quantitative　character　which　implies　an　essential　identity　between　the　innermost　natures　of　the　two　substances。　We　have　seen　reason　for　thinking　it　probable　that　ether　and　ordinary　matter　are　alike　composed　of　vortex…rings　in　a　quasi…frictionless　fluid；　but　whatever　be　the　fate　of　this　subtle　hypothesis；　we　may　be　sure　that　no　theory　will　ever　be　entertained　in　which　the　analysis　of　ether　shall　require　different　symbols　from　that　of　ordinary　matter。　In　our　authors'　theory；　therefore；　the　putting　on　of　immortality　is　in　no　wise　the　passage　from　a　material　to　a　spiritual　state。　It　is　the　passage　from　one　kind　of　materially　conditioned　state　to　another。　The　theory　thus　appeals　directly　to　our　experiences　of　the　behaviour　of　matter；　and　in　deriving　so　little　support　as　it　does　from　these　experiences；　it　remains　an　essentially　weak　speculation；　whatever　we　may　think　of　its　ingenuity。　For　so　long　as　we　are　asked　to　accept　conclusions　drawn　from　our　experiences　of　the　material　world；　we　are　justified　in　demanding　something　more　than　mere　unconditioned　possibility。　We　require　some　positive　evidence；　be　it　ever　so　little　in　amount；　and　no　theory　which　cannot　furnish　such　positive　evidence　is　likely　to　carry　to　our　minds　much　practical　conviction。

This　is　what　I　meant　by　saying　that　the　great　weakness　of　the　hypothesis　here　criticized　lies　in　its　materialistic　character。　In　contrast　with　this　we　shall　presently　see　that　the　assertion　of　a　future　life　which　is　not　materially　conditioned；　though　unsupported　by　any　item　of　experience　whatever；　may　nevertheless　be　an　impregnable　assertion。　But　first　I　would　conclude　the　foregoing　criticism　by　ruling　out　altogether　the　sense　in　which　our　authors　use　the　expression　〃Unseen　Universe。〃　Scientific　inference；　however　remote；　is　connected　by　such　insensible　gradations　with　ordinary　perception；　that　one　may　well　question　the　propriety　of　applying　the　term　〃unseen〃　to　that　which　is　presented　to　〃the　mind's　eye〃　as　inevitable　matter　of　inference。　It　is　true　that　we　cannot　see　the　ocean　of　ether　in　which　visible　matter　floats；　but　there　are　many　other　invisible　things　which　yet　we　do　not　regard　as　part　of　the　〃unseen　world。〃　I　do　not　see　the　air　which　I　am　now　breathing　within　the　four　walls　of　my　study；　yet　its　existence　is　sufficiently　a　matter　of　sense…perception　as　it　fills　my　lungs　and　fans　my　cheek。　The　atoms　which　compose　a　drop　of　water　are　not　only　invisible；　but　cannot　in　any　way　be　made　the　objects　of　sense…perception；　yet　by　proper　inferences　from　their　behaviour　we　can　single　them　out　for　measurement；　so　that　Sir　William　Thomson　can　tell　us　that　if　the　drop　of　water　were　magnified　to　the　size　of　the　earth；　the　constituent　atoms　would　be　larger　than　peas；　but　not　so　large　as　billiard…balls。　If　we　do　not　see　such　atoms　with　our　eyes；　we　have　one　adequate　reason　in　their　tiny　dimensions；　though　there　are　further　reasons　than　this。　It　would　be　hard　to　say　why　the　luminiferous　ether　should　be　relegated　to　the　〃unseen　world〃　any　more　than　the　material　atom。　Whatever　we　know　as　possessing　resistance　and　extension；　whatever　we　can　subject　to　mathematical　processes　of　measurement；　we　also　conceive　as　existing　in　such　shape　that；　with　appropriate　eyes　and　under　proper　visual　conditions；　we　MIGHT　see　it；　and　we　are　not　entitled　to　draw　any　line　of　demarcation　between　such　an　object　of　inference　and　others　which　may　be　made　objects　of　sense…perception。　To　set　apart　the　ether　as　constituting　an　〃unseen　universe〃　is　therefore　illegitimate　and　confusing。　It　introduces　a　distinction　where　there　is　none；　and　obscures　the　fact　that　both　invisible　ether　and　visible　matter　form　but　one　grand　universe　in　which　the　sum　of　energy　remains　constant；　though　the　order　of　its　distribution　endlessly　varies。

Very　different　would　be　the　logical　position　of　a　theory　which　should　assume　the　existence　of　an　〃Unseen　World〃　entirely　spiritual　in　constitution；　and　in　which　material　conditions　like　those　of　the　visible　world　should　have　neither　place　nor　meaning。　Such　a　world　would　not　consist　of　ethers　or　gases　or　ghosts；　but　of　purely　psychical　relations　akin　to　such　as　constitute　thoughts　and　feelings　when　our　minds　are　least　solicited　by　sense…perceptions。　In　thus　marking　off　the　〃Unseen　World〃　from　the　objective　universe　of　which　we　have　knowledge；　our　line　of　demarcation　would　at　least　be　drawn　in　the　right　place。　The　distinction　between　psychical　and　material　phenomena　is　a　distinction　of　a　different　order　from　all　other　distinctions　known　to　philosophy；　and　it　immeasurably　transcends　all　others。　The　progress　of　modern　discovery　has　in　no　respect　weakened　the　force　of　Descartes's　remark；　that　between　that　of　which　the　differential　attribute　is　Thought　and　that　of　which　the　differential　attribute　is　Extension；　there　can　be　no　similarity；　no　community　of　nature　whatever。　By　no　scientific　cunning　of　experiment　or　deduction　can　Thought　be　weighed　or　measured　or　in　any　way　assimilated　to　such　things　as　may　be　made　the　actual　or　possible　objects　of　sense…perception。　Modern　discovery；　so　far　from　bridging　over　the　chasm　between　Mind　and　Matter；　tends　rather　to　exhibit　the　distinction　between　them　as　absolute。　It　has；　indeed；　been　rendered　highly　probable　that　every　act　of　consciousness　is　accompanied　by　a　molecular　motion　in　the　cells　and　fibres　of　the　brain；　and　materialists　have　found　great　comfort　in　this　fact；　while　theologians　and　persons　of　little　faith　have　been　very　much　frightened　by　it。　But　since　no　one　ever　pretended　that　thought　can　go　on；　under　the　conditions　of　the　present　life；　without　a　brain；　one　finds　it　rather　hard　to　sympathize　either　with　the　self…congratulations　of　Dr。　Buchner's　disciples＇8＇　or　with　the　terrors　of　their　opponents。　But　what　has　been　less　commonly　remarked　is　the　fact　that　when　the　thought　and　the　molecular　movement　thus　occur　simultaneously；　in　no　scientific　sense　is　the　thought　the　product　of　the　molecular　movement。　The　sun…derived　energy　of　motion　latent　in　the　food　we　eat　is　variously　transformed　within　the　organism；　until　some　of　it　appears　as　the　motion　of　the　molecules　of　a　little　globule　of　nerve…matter　in　the　brain。　In　a　rough　way　we　might　thus　say　that　the　chemical　energy　of　the　food　indirectly　produces　the　motion　of　these　little　nerve…molecules。　But　does　this　motion　of　nerve…molecules　now　produce　a　thought　or　state　of　consciousness？　By　no　means。　It　simply　produces　some　other　motion　of　nerve…molecules；　and　this　in　turn　produces　motion　of　contraction　or　expansion　in　some　muscle；　or　becomes　transformed　into　the　chemical　energy　of　some　secreting　gland。　At　no　point　in　the　whole　circuit　does　a　unit　of　motion　disappear　as　motion　to　reappear　as　a　unit　of　consciousness。　The　physical　process　is　complete　in　itself；　and　the　thought　does　not　enter　into　it。　All　that　we　can　say　is；　that　the　occurrence　of　the　thought　is　simultaneous　with　that　part　of　the　physical　process　which　consists　of　a　molecular　movement　in　the　brain。＇9＇　To　be　sure；　the　thought　is　always　there　when　summoned；　but　it　stands　outside　the　dynamic　circuit；　as　something　utterly　alien　from　and　incomparable　with　the　events　which　summon　it。　No　doubt；　as　Professor　Tyndall　observes；　if　we　knew　exhaustively　the　physical　state　of　the　brain；　〃the　corresponding　thought　or　feeling　might　be　inferred；　or；　given　the　thought　or　feeling；　the　corresponding　state　of　the　brain　might　be　inferred。　But　how　inferred？　It　would　be　at　bottom　not　a　case　of　logical　inference　at　all；　but　of　empirical　association。　You　may　reply　that　many　of　the　inferences　of　science　are　of　this　character；　the　inference；　for　example；　that　an　electric　current　of　a　given　direction　will　deflect　a　magnetic　needle　in　a　definite　way；　but　the　cases　differ　in　this；　that　the　passage　from　the　current　to　the　needle；　if　not　demonstrable；　is　thinkable；　and　that　we　entertain　no　doubt　as　to　the　final　mechanical　solution　of　the　problem。　But　the　passage　from　the　physics　of　the　brain　to　the　corresponding　facts　of　consciousness　is　unthinkable。　Granted　that　a　definite　thought　and　a　definite　molecular　action　in　the　brain　occur　simultaneously；　we　do　not　possess　the　intellectual　organ；　nor　apparently　any　rudiment　of　the　organ；　which　would　enable　us　to　pass　by　a　process　of　reasoning　from　the　one　to　the　other。　They　appear　together；　but　we　do　not　know　why。〃＇10＇

＇8＇　The　Nation　once　wittily　described　these　people　as　〃people　who　believe　that　they　are　going　to　die　like　the　beasts；　and　who　congratulate　themselves　that　they　are　going　to　die　like　the　beasts。〃

＇9＇　For　a　fuller　exposition　of　this　point；　see　my　Outlines　of　Cosmic　Philosophy；　Vol。　II。　pp。　436…445。

＇10＇　Fragments　of　Science；　p。　119。


An　unseen　world　consisting　of　purely　psychical　or　spiritual　phenomena　would　accordingly　be　demarcated　by　an　absolute　gulf　from　what　we　call　the　material　universe；　but　would　not　necessarily　be　discontinuous　with　the　psychical　phenomena　which　we　find　manifested　in　connection　with　the　world　of　matter。　The　transfer　of　matter；　or　physical　energy；　or　anything　else　that　is　quantitatively　measurable；　into　such　an　unseen　world；　may　be　set　down　as　impossible；　by　reason　of　the　very　definition　of　such　a　world。　Any　hypothesis　which　should　assume　such　a　transfer　would　involve　a　contradiction　in　terms。　But　the　hypothesis　of　a　survival　of　present　psychical　phenomena　in　such　a　world；　after　being　denuded　of　material　conditions；　is　not　in　itself　absurd　or　self…contradictory；　though　it　may　be　impossible　to　support　it　by　any　arguments　drawn　from　the　domain　of　human　experience。　Such　is　the　shape　which　it　seems　to　me　that；　in　the　present　state　of　philosophy；　the　hypothesis　of　a　future　life　must　assume。　We　have　nothing　to　say　to　gross　materialistic　notions　of　ghosts　and　bogies；　and　spirits　that　upset　tables　and　whisper　to　ignorant　vulgar　women　the　wonderful　information　that　you　once　had　an　aunt　Susan。　The　unseen　world　imagined　in　our　hypothesis　is　not　connected　with　the　present　material　universe　by　any　such　〃invisible　bonds〃　as　would　allow　Bacon　and　Addison　to　come　to　Boston　and　write　the　silliest　twaddle　in　the　most　ungrammatical　English　before　a　roomful　of　people　who　have　never　learned　how　to　test　what　they　are　pleased　to　call　the　〃evidence　of　their　senses。〃　Our　hypothesis　is　expressly　framed　so　as　to　exclude　all　intercourse　whatever　between　the　unseen　world　of　spirit　unconditioned　by　matter　and　the　present　world　of　spirit　conditioned　by　matter　in　which　all　our　experiences　have　been　gathered。　The　hypothesis　being　framed　in　such　a　way；　the　question　is；　What　has　philo