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Cosmology
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ORIGINOFCOSMOLOGY
METHOD
DIVISIONOFCOSMOLOGY
Thefirstcauseofthematerialuniverse
Theconstituentcausesoftheworld
Thefinalcauseofthematerialuniverse
FromitsGreeketymology(ksmosworldlgos,knowledgeorscience)theword
cosmologymeansthescienceoftheworld.Itought,therefore,toincludeinitsscopethe
studyofthewholematerialuniverse:thatistosay,ofinorganicsubstances,ofplants,of
animals,andofmanhimself.But,asamatteroffact,thewiderangeindicatedbythe
etymologyofthewordhasbeennarrowedintheactualmeaning.Inourdaycosmologyis
abranchofphilosophicalstudy,andthereforeexcludesfromitsinvestigationwhatever
formstheobjectofthenaturalsciences.Whilethesciencesofphysicsandbiologyseek
theproximatecausesofcorporalphenomena,thelawsthatgovernthem,andthe
wonderfulharmonyresultingtherefrom,cosmologyaimstodiscoverthedeeperand
remotercauseswhichneitherobservationnorexperimentimmediatelyreveals.This
specialpurposerestrictsinmanywaysthefieldofcosmology.Thereisanotherlimitation
notlessimportant.Man'suniquepositionintheuniversemakeshimtheobjectofaspecial
philosophicalstudy,viz.psychology,oranthropologyand,inconsequence,thatportion
ofthecorporealworldwithwhichthesesciencesdealhasbeencutofffromthedomainof
cosmologyproperlysocalled.
Thereisatendencyatpresenttorestrictthefieldstillfurtherandlimitittowhatisknown
asinorganiccreation.Psychologybeingbyitsverydefinitionthestudyofhumanfife
consideredinitsfirstprincipleandinthetotalityofitsphenomena,itsinvestigations
oughttocomprise,itwouldseem,thethreefoldlifeofman,vegetative,animal,and
rational.And,indeed,theinterdependenceofthesethreelivesintheonelivinghuman
beingappearstojustifytheenlargementdemandednowadaysbymanyauthorsofnotefor
thepsychologicalfield.Henceforthosewhoacceptthisview,cosmologyhasnothingto
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dowithorganiclifebutisreducedto"aphilosophicalstudyoftheinorganicworld".Such,
inouropinion,isthebestdefinitionthatcanbegiven.Atthesametimeitshouldbe
remarkedthatmanyphilosophersstillfavourabroaderdefinition,whichwouldinclude
notonlythemineralkingdombutalsolivingthingsconsideredinageneralway.In
Germanspeakingcountriescosmology,asarule,isknownasNaturphilosophie,i.e.
philosophyofnature.
Underthisname,philosophersusuallyunderstandastudyoftheuniversealongthelines
ofoneoftheforegoingdefinitions.Scientists,ontheotherhand,giveamorescientific
turntothisphilosophyofnature,transformingitintoasortofgeneralphysicswithan
occasionalexcursionintotherealmofsensitiveandintellectuallife.Anotableinstanceis
theworkofProf.Ostwald,"VorlesungenberNaturphilosophie"(Leipzig,1902).

Originofcosmology
Theworditselfisofrecentorigin.ItwasfirstusedbyWolffwhen,in1730,heentitled
oneofhisworks"CosmologiaGeneralis"(FrankfortandLeipzig).Inthistreatisethe
authorstudiesespeciallythelawsofmotion,therelationsthatexistamongthingsin
nature,thecontingencyoftheuniverse,theharmonyofnature,thenecessityof
postulatingaGodtoexplaintheoriginofthecosmosanditsmanifestationofpurpose.
Becauseoftheadvancethenaturalscienceswerethenmaking,Wolffomittedfromhis
philosophicstudyofnaturethepurelyscientificportionwhichtillthenhadbeenclosely
alliedwithit.ThecosmologyoftheancientsandespeciallyofAristotlewassimplya
branchofphysics.The"Physics"ofAristotletreatsofcorporealbeingsinasfarasthey
aresubjecttomotion.Theworkisdividedintotwoparts:
Generalphysics,whichembracesthegeneralprinciplesgoverningcorporealbeing.It
treatsoflocalmotionanditsvariouskindstheoriginofsubstantialcompounds
changesinqualitychangesinquantitybyincreaseanddecreaseandchangesarising
frommotioninplace,onwhichAristotlehingesournotionsoftheinfinite,oftime,
andofspace.
Specialphysicswhichdealswiththevariousclassesofbeings:terrestrialbodies,
celestialbodies,andman.
Itisthefirstpartofthisworkthatcomesnearesttowhatwemeanbycosmology.The
SchoolmenoftheMiddleAges,asarule,followthepathmarkedoutforthemby
Aristotle.Cosmologicalsubjects,properlysocalled,havenoreservedplacein
philosophicalstudy,andaregenerallytreatedasapartofphysics.Inourowntime,
philosophersemploythewords"cosmology"and"philosophyofnature"todesignatethe
philosophicstudyofthecorporealworld.

Method
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Cosmologyisthenaturalcomplementofthespecialsciences.Itbeginswheretheyleave
off,anditsdomainisquitedistinctfromtheirs.Thescientistdeterminestheimmediate
causeofthephenomenaobservedinthemineralortheorganicworld:heformulatestheir
lawsandbuildstheseintoasynthesiswiththehelpofcertaingeneraltheories,suchas
thoseoflight,ofheat,andofelectricity.Thecosmologist,ontheotherhand,seeksthe
ultimatecauses,notoffthisorthatclassofbeingsorofphenomena,butofthewhole
materialuniverse.Heinquiresintotheconstituentnatureofcorporealbeings,their
destiny,andtheirfirstcause.Itisclearthattheselargerproblemsarequitebeyondthe
rangeandpurposeofthevarioussciences,eachofwhichisbyitsmethodconfinedtoits
ownparticularsubject.Nevertheless,cosmologymustborrow,andborrowlargely,from
thedataofscience,sincethecauseswhichitstudiesarenotdirectlyperceptibletheycan
beknownonlythroughphenomenawhicharetheirmoreorlessfaithfulmanifestations.It
isonthesethatcosmologymustrestinordertopassupwardfromcausetocausetillthe
ultimatecauseisreached.Since,then,itistheroleofthenaturalsciencestoanalyzeand
classifythepropertiesandphenomenaofnature,cosmologyisobligedtodrawveryfreely
uponthosesciencesandtoneglectnoneoftheirdefinitiveresults.Inaword,the
cosmologicalmethodisessentiallyaposteriori.Descartesandhisschoolfolloweda
different,evenanopposite,course.Beingamathematicianaboveallelse,heappliesto
cosmologytheprinciplesofmathematics,andasmathematicssetsoutfromthesimplest
propositionsandtravelsalongtheroadofdeductiontothemostcomplextruths,so
Descartes,startingfromextensionastheprimordialanduniversalpropertyofmatter,in
factitsveryessence,endsbyascribingtoallbodiesinnaturewhateverextensionimplies
andbyeliminatingfromthemwhateveritexcludes.Thisapriorimethod,beingessentially
deductiveisantiscientificandisbased,moreover,onafalsesupposition,sinceextension
isonlyoneofthemanypropertiesofmatter,notitsessence.AsLeibnizpointedout,
extensionpresupposessomethingextended,justasarepetitionpresupposessomethingto
berepeated.Philosophers,therefore,havealmostentirelyabandonedthismethodwiththe
exceptionperhapsoftheIdealisticPantheistsofwhomweshallspeakpresently.

Divisionofcosmology
Cosmology,asmostphilosophersunderstandit,hasathreefoldproblemtosolve:Whence
thiscorporealworld?Whatisit?Whyisit?Henceitsthreeparts,concernedrespectively
with
theprimordialefficientcauseofthecosmos
itsactualconstituentcauses
itsfinalcause.
Thefirstcauseofthematerialuniverse

Geology,gobackasitmayandasfarasitmayinthescientifichistoryoftheearth,must
everremainfacetofacewithafactthatcallsforexplanation,viz.theexistenceofmatter
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itself.EvenifitcoulddecisivelyproveLaplace'shypothesis,accordingtowhichall
portionsofthisuniverse,earth,sun,andthewholestellarsystem,originallymadeupa
singlenebularclass,therewouldstillremaintheveryreasonablequestion,whencecame
thismassandwhatwasitsorigin?Nowthisispreciselythequestioncosmologyasksand
inseekingtheanswerithasrivenrisetomanysystemswhichcanalwaysbebrought
underoneofthefollowingheadings:
(a)Monism
(b)thetheoryofTransitiveEmanation
(c)Creationism.
Monism
TheMonisttheoryisthatallbeingsintheworldarebutoneandthesamenecessaryand
eternalsubstancehavingwithinitselfthesufficientreasonofitsexistencewhilethe
seemingdiversityofthingsandtheirattributes,arebutthevariousmanifestationsand
evolutionsofthissinglesubstance.PantheismidentifiestheworldwiththeDivineBeing.
ThisBeingisceaselesslyinprocessofevolutionwhich,however,innowisedisturbsthe
universalidentityofthings.ThePantheistiseitheranIdealistoraRealistaccordingtothe
viewhetakesofthenatureandcharacteroftheoriginalsubstance.Ifthatsubstanceisreal
heisstyledaRealist,andsuchwereErigena,Amalric,DavidofDinant,GiordanoBruno,
andSpinoza.Butiftheoriginalsubstanceissomethingideal,e.g.theEgo,theAbsolute,
theConcept,heisstyledanidealist,andsuchwereHegel,Schelling,andFichte.Kraus
andTiberghiensupportthePantheisticview:GodisintheworldandtheworldisinGod,
althoughtheyarenotidentical.SchopenhauerdevisedaformofPantheismwhichis
knownasPanthelism.Accordingtohisviewthemotiveforceofthewholeuniverseisa
singleblindwill.Hartmanngoesastepfartherandsaystheworldisbuttheconstant
evolutionoftheunconscious:hencethenamePanhylism.ModernMaterialists,suchas
Bchner,Hckel,Baruch,aswellastheoldGreekAtomists,Leucippus,Democritus,and
Epicurus,consideralltheactivitiesoftheuniverseassomanypurelymaterialphenomena
arisingfromonenecessaryandeternalsubstance.Lastly,accordingtothesupportersof
theImmanentEmanationtheory,theDivineBeingdevelopswithinitselfsothatitis
continuallyidentifyingitselfwiththebeingsitevolves,orthatcomeforthfromit,justas
thegrubmaintainsitssubstantialidentitythroughoutitstransformationintochrysalisand
butterfly.ItisclearthatsuchatheoryhardlydiffersfromPantheism
TransitiveEmanation
IntheTransitiveEmanationtheoryallbeingsissuefromtheDivineSubstancemuchinthe
samewayasnewfruitsappearontheparenttreewithoutchangingitssubstanceand
withoutdiminishingitsproductivepower.
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Creationism
Creationismistheviewheldbythegeneralityofspiritualisticphilosophers.Theuniverse
throughitsendlesstransformationsrevealsitscontingency:thatistosay,itsexistenceis
notanecessity:thereforeitmusthavereceiveditsexistencefromsomeotherbeing.This
firstcausemustbeanecessaryandindependentone,unlessweadmitaninfiniteseriesof
dependentcausesandsoleaveunsolvedtheproblemoftheworld'sexistence.Godhas,
therefore,drawnallthingsfromnothingnessbythefreeactofHisAlmightyWillina
word,Hehasmadethemoutofnothing,sinceanyotherexplanation,e.g.Emanationism,
whichimpliesarealintrinsicchangeinGod,isincompatiblewiththeimmutability,
necessity,andabsoluteperfectionoftheDivineBeing.
Theconstituentcausesoftheworld

Thecompositionofcorporealbeingsisalsothesubjectofmuchdiscussion.Thereare
actuallyfoursystemsofnote,eachpromisingtosolvethisdelicateproblem:Mechanism
Hylomorphism(theScholasticsystem)DynamicAtomismandDynamismproper.
Mechanism
ThecharacteristictendencyofMechanism,i.e.ofthemechanicaltheory,istodisregardall
qualitativedifferenceinnaturalphenomenaandtoemphasizetheirquantitative
differences.Thatistosay,inthissystemtheconstituentmatterofallcorporealbeingsis
everywherethesameandisessentiallyhomogeneousalltheforcesanimatingitareofthe
samenaturetheyaresimplymodesoflocalmotion.Furthermore,thereisnointernal
principleoffinalityintheworldeverythingisdeterminedbymechanicallaws.Toexplain
allcosmicphenomena,nothingisneededbutmassandmotionsothatallthedifferences
observablebetweencorporealbeingsaremerelydifferencesintheamountofmatterand
motion.Mechanismappealsespeciallytothelawofthecorrelationofforcesinnatureand
ofthemechanicalequivalentofheat.Heat,weknow,doesworkbutitconsumesitselfin
proportiontoitsownactivity.Inlikemannermechanicalcausesproduceheatandgrow
weakerinproportiontotheintensityoftheireffect.Soitiswithallcorporealenergyone
formmaybesubstitutedforanother,butthequantityofthenewforcewillbealways
equivalenttothequantityoftheforcethathasdisappeared.Havinginthiswayidentified
mechanicalforcewithmotion,theholdersofthistheoryfeltauthorizedtounifyallforces
andreducethemtolocalmotionanditwasthenaneasysteptoconsidersubstanceas
homogeneoussinceitsonlyuseistoserveasabackgroundforphenomena.Other
argumentsaredrawnfromchemistry,especiallyfromthefactsofisomerism,polymerism,
andallotropism.
Themechanicaltheoryisofancientorigin.AmongstitsearliestpartisanswereThales,
Anaximander,andHeraclitus,whosechiefconcernwastoprovethederivationofthe
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worldfromonesimpleprimitivesubstance.Empedocles,however,heldoutforfour
elementsair,earth,water,fire.ButDemocritus,andlaterEpicurus,suppressedthis
distinctionbetweentheelements,proclaimedtheessentialhomogeneityofmatter,and
referredthevarietyofnaturalphenomenatodifferencesofmotion.Afterthetimeof
Epicurus(270B.C.),thissystemdisappearedfromphilosophicalthoughtforeighteen
centuries.RestoredbyDescartesitsoonwonthefavourofmostscientists,anditisstill
dominantinscientificresearch.TheCartesianphilosophywasarestatementofthetwo
basicprinciplesoftheoldtheory,thehomogeneityofnatureandthereductionofall
forcestotermsofmotionbutitgotnewvigourbycontactwiththenaturalsciences,
especiallyphysicsandchemistryhencethenameAtomismbywhichitisusuallyknown.
Itshould,however,benotedthattherearetwoAtomisms,theonepurelychemical,the
otherphilosophical.Accordingtotheformerallsimplebodiesaremadeupofatoms,i.e.
ofparticlessosmallthatnochemicalforceknowntouscandividethem,butwhichhave
allthepropertiesofvisiblebodies.Atomsformgroupsoftwoorfourorsometimesmore
thesesmalltenaciousgroups,knownaschemicalmoleculescoalesceinphysical
molecules,andfromtheseinturnarebuiltupthematerialbodiesweseearoundus.The
materialbodythusresultsfromaprogressiveaggregationofmolecules,andthevery
smallestportionofitthatisendowedwiththepropertiesofthecompoundcontainsmany
atomsofvariousspecies,sincebydefinitionthecompoundresultsfromtheunionof
numerouselements.Onthisatomictheory,independentassuchofallphilosophical
systems,wasgraftedduringthelastcenturythatphilosophicalAtomismwhich,while
ascribingtoallatomsthesamenature,differentiatesthemonlybyvaryingamountsof
massandmotion.
Dynamism
AnotherexplanationofthematerialworldisofferedbyDynamism.IfMechanism
attributesextensiontomatterandcompletepassivitytocorporealsubstances,Dynamism
seesintheworldonlysimpleforces,unextended,yetessentiallyactive.Thereisnothing
strangeintheantithesisofthesetwosystems.TheDynamismofLeibnizitwashewho
propoundeditwasbutareactionagainsttheMechanismofDescartes.Tothesetwo
matrixideasofunextended,activeforcesthemajorityofDynamistsaddtheprincipleof
actioindistans.Theysoonfoundoutthatpointswithoutextensioncantouchonlyby
completelymergingtheonewiththeother,andontheirownhypothesisthepointsin
contactwouldamounttonothingmorethanamathematicalpointwhichcouldnevergive
useventheillusionofapparentextension.Toavoidthispitfall,theDynamistsbethought
themofconsideringallbodiesasaggregatesofforceunextendedindeedbutseparatedby
intervalsfromoneanother.ConceivedbyLeibniz,whoheldthemonadstobedowered
withallimmanentactivity,thissystemhasbeenamendedandmodernizedbyFather
Boscovich,Kant,FatherPalmieri,FatherCarbonelle,Hirn,andFatherLeroy.Onthe
wholeithasfoundfewsupportersscientistsasarulepreferthemechanicalview.It
wouldseem,however,thatareactiontowardsithassetinsincethediscoveryofthe
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radioactivityofmatter.Thepropertymanifestedbyaconsiderablenumberofbodiesof
emittingatordinarytemperaturesaseeminglyinexhaustiblequantityofelectricrays
suggeststheideathatmatterisafocusofenergywhichtendstodiffuseitselfinspace.But
inpointoffactthereareonlytwoargumentsinfavourofDynamism.Oneisdrawnfrom
thedifficultiesofgraspingtheconceptofextensiontheotherfromthefactthatallwe
knowofmattercomestousthroughitsactiononourorgansofsensehencetheinference
thatforceistheonlythingexistingapartfromourselves.
Hylomorphism
BetweenthesetwoextremesstandstheScholastictheory,knownasHylomorphism,or
theoryofmatterandform(hle,mattermorph,form),alsoastheAristoteleantheory,
andlaterastheThomistictheoryfromthenameofitsprincipaldefenderintheMiddle
Ages.Aristotle(384322B.C.),whowasitsauthor,gaveitalargeplaceinhistreatiseson
physicsandonmetaphysics.ItwasdiscussedduringcenturiesinthePeripateticandneo
PlatonicschoolsandintheschoolsofConstantinopleandAthensbutfromthesixth
centurytothetwelfth,thoughitsessentialprinciplessurvived,itwasaninsignificant
factorinphilosophicthought.Anexception,however,mustbemadeinfavourof
AvicennaintheEast(9801037)andofAverroesinSpain(11261198),bothfamous
commentatorsontheAristoteleanencyclopedia.Inthethirteenthcentury,theGoldenAge
ofScholasticism,thesystemwasrestored,thankstoanumberofLatintranslations,andits
longforgottentreasureswerebroughttolightbydaringprospectors,suchasAlexanderof
Hales,St.AlbertusMagnus,St.ThomasAquinas,St.Bonaventure,andHenryofGhent.
Duringthefourteenthandfifteenthcenturiesthecosmologicaltheory,andindeedthe
wholeScholasticsystem,sufferedadeclinewhichlastedtillthenineteenthcentury,
thoughduringtheintervalitfoundardentsupportersinsomeofthereligiousorders.The
restorationmovementbeganaboutthemiddleofthenineteenthcenturywiththeworksof
Kleutgen(18111883)Sanseverino(18111865),andLiberatore(18101892)butitwas
especiallyowingtotheimpulsegivenitbythefamousEncyclicalofLeoXIII,"terni
Patris"(1879),thatScholasticismregaineditsplaceofhonourbesidethegreatmodern
systems.
TheScholastictheorycanbesummedupinthefollowingpropositions:
Bodiesbothelementaryandcompoundhaveanessentialunitytheydiffer
specifically,andarebytheirverynatureextended
theypossesspowersorenergiesbothpassiveandactivewhichspringfromtheir
substantialnatureandareinseparablefromit
theyhaveanimmanenttendencytowardcertainspecialendstoberealizedbythe
exerciseoftheirnativeenergies.
Thebasicprincipleofthiscosmologyisthatofimmanentfinality.Thecorporealworldis
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amasterpieceoforderandharmony.Inspiteofceaselesstransformations,everyspecies
ofbody,simpleandcompositealike,reappearsagainandagainwithitscharacteristic
propertiestofurtherthewellbeingoftheindividualandoftheuniverseasawhole.Now
thisconstantandharmoniouscooperationofinnumerablecausesactingunderconditions
themostdiversecanonlybeexplained,saytheScholastics,byadmittinginthematerial
agentsthemselvesfixedandpermanentprinciplesoforder.Theuniversemustthereforebe
composedofspecificnatures,i.e.ofbeingswhichbytheirconstitutionandpropertiesare
reallyadaptedtotheendstheyhavetoattain.Substanceanditsdistinctiveenergiesforma
wholewhichiscompletelysubordinatedtoitsappointeddestinysothatifserious
alterations,suchaschemicalcombinations,succeedinaffectingthesepropertiesandin
marringtheharmonythatoughttoexistbetweenthemandtheirsubstantialbase,thebeing
soaffectedmustputonanewnatureinharmonywithitsnewstate.Theretakesplace,in
otherwords,whattheScholasticscallasubstantialtransformation.Butthisimpliesthatan
essentialportionoftheoriginalbeingmustpersistthroughoutthechange,andbecarried
overintothefinalresult,otherwisetransformationwouldinvolvetheannihilationofthe
firstbeingandtheproductionofthesecondoutofnothing.Ontheotherhand,ifwehold
thatduringtheprocessthebeinginquestiondoesnotloseitsownspecificdifferencein
exchangeforanother,itwouldbeillogicaltospeakofatransformation,sinceachange
whichpreservesthesubstantialintegrityofthebeingcanneverhaveasitsresultthe
productionofanewbeing.Allbodies,then,thataresubjecttosuchachangemust
contain,inspiteoftheirunity,twoconstituentprinciples.Theoneisaspecifyingor
determiningprinciplewhencespringtheactualityanddistinguishingmarksofthebody
itselfanditisthisprinciplewhichisbornanddiesateverystepinthedeeper
transformationsofmatter.Itiscalledsubstantialform.Theother,theindeterminate
complementofthis,isthesubstratumwhichreceivesthevariousessentialformsanditis
calledfirstmatter.ThesearethefundamentalideasintheScholastictheory.
Asasystemitisnotateverypointthedirectantithesisofthetwoothersystemsoutlined
above.Itistruethat,whileMechanismclaimsthatthepropertiesofbodiesarenothingbut
localmotion,theScholasticsadmittheexistenceofqualitiesproperlysocalledinall
bodies,i.e.accidentaldeterminations,fixedanddestinedforaction.Thesepropertiesare
generatedwiththenewsubstancetheyclingtoitindissolublyduringitsexistenceand
theyareitsnaturalmanifestation.But,ontheotherhand,theScholasticsconcedetothe
mechanicaltheorythatlocalmotionplaysalargepartintheworld,thatitisthe
accompanimentandthemeasureofeveryexertionofmaterialforce.Hencetheygive
Mechanismcreditforassigningaquantitativevaluetothephenomenaofnatureby
measuringthemovementproportionatetoeachwhile,ontheirside,theyexplainthe
activityatworkineachcasebytakingintoaccountthequalitativeelementsaswellasthe
kinetic.Again,withthemechanicaltheorytheScholasticrecognizesineverycorporeal
beinganessentialprincipleofpassivity,ofinertia,divisibility,andextensioninaword,
ofallthepropertiessohighlyprizedbyMechanismthisprincipleisfirstmatter.Butthe
Scholastictheoryaddsasubstantialform,i.e.adeterminingprincipleandarootcauseof
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theactivitiesandpeculiartendenciesdisplayedbyeachindividualbody.
AsimilarpartialagreementexistsbetweenScholasticismandDynamism.Inthe
hylomorphicconstitutionofbodiesthedynamicelementhasapreponderatingrole,
representedbythesubstantialformbutsincethecorporealbeingdoesnotappeartobea
sourceofenergypureandsimple,thedynamicelementisjoinedwithfirstmatter,of
whichpassivityandextensionarethenaturaloutcome.
DynamicAtomism
AfourthandlastsystemiscalledDynamicAtomism.Theonlyrealdifferencebetweenit
andMechanismliesinthefactthatitattributestobodiesforcesdistinctfromlocalmotion
butatthesametimeitmaintainsthattheyarepurelymechanicalforces.Matter,itasserts,
ishomogeneousandtheatomincapableoftransformation.Thistheory,proposedby
MartinandTongiorgi,andupheldnowadaysbycertainscientists,isatransitionbetween
themechanicalandtheScholasticsystem.Itspartisans,infact,arepersuadedthatatheory
whichdeniestherealityofqualitativeenergiesinherentinmatterandreducesthemto
localmotiontherebymakesthetrueexplanationofnaturalphenomenaimpossibleand
handsovertheuniversetothewhimsofchance.SomeDynamists,therefore,tomeetthe
obviousrequirementsoforderintheworld,seekinsubstanceitselfthereasonsofits
secondaryprinciplesofactivity.Butinthishypothesisitseemsratherhardnottoadmit,as
theScholasticsmaintain,thatdiversityofsubstanceistheonlyexplanationofthe
constancyobservedintheaccidentaldifferencesofthings.
Thefinalcauseofthematerialuniverse

Thelastproblemthatcosmologyattemptstosolveisthatofthefinalcause.Itisintimately
boundupwiththatofthefirstcause.MaterialistslikeHackelandBchner,whorefuseto
seeintheuniverseaplanorapurpose,canassignnogoaltocosmicevolution.Intheir
opinion,justastheworld,duringitseternalpast,hasundergonecountlessvariationsin
form,soduringitseternalfutureitisdestinedtoceaselesschange.Thelawsofmechanics,
thechanceencounterofatomsandmolecules,thecapriciousplayofnaturalforces
followingnopreconceivedaim,willdeterminethenumber,nature,andformofthestates
throughwhichmatteristopass.PantheistsandallwhoidentifyGodwithmattershareasa
rulethesameview.Forthemtheconditionoftheworldisbutthefatalresultof
purposelessevolutionsothattheworldisitsownendorratherisitselfthetermofits
existenceandactivity.
ThosewhobelieveintheexistenceofapersonalGodcanneveradmitthatanallwise
beingcreatedwithoutapurpose.Andsinceaperfectandindependentbeingcanhaveno
otherthanhimselfasthefinalaimofhisaction,itfollowsthattheultimateendofcreation
istomanifestthegloryoftheCreator,manbeingtheintermediary,and,asitwere,the
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highpriestofthematerialworld.Thewelfareofmanhimselfisthesecondarypurposeof
creation.AccordingtoSt.Thomastheworldisavasthierarchyofwhichinorganicmatter
isthebaseandmanthesummit.Themineralorderministerstothevegetableandthisin
turntotheanimal,whilemanfindsinallthesethesatisfactionofhisneedsandthe
adornmentofhisearthlylife.Aboveallhefindsinthematerialuniverseandintheservice
itrendershimameansofrisingtoperfecthappinessinthepossessionofGod.

Aboutthispage
APAcitation.Nys,D.(1908).Cosmology.InTheCatholicEncyclopedia.NewYork:
RobertAppletonCompany.RetrievedJune6,2015fromNewAdvent:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04413a.htm
MLAcitation.Nys,Dsir."Cosmology."TheCatholicEncyclopedia.Vol.4.New
York:RobertAppletonCompany,1908.6Jun.2015
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04413a.htm>.
Transcription.ThisarticlewastranscribedforNewAdventbyRickMcCarty.
Ecclesiasticalapprobation.NihilObstat.RemyLafort,Censor.Imprimatur.+JohnM.
Farley,ArchbishopofNewYork.
Contactinformation.TheeditorofNewAdventisKevinKnight.Myemailaddressis
webmasteratnewadvent.org.Regrettably,Ican'treplytoeveryletter,butIgreatly
appreciateyourfeedbackespeciallynotificationsabouttypographicalerrorsand
inappropriateads.

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