登陆注册
5381100000015

第15章

Is not the weight inherent in atoms the real, eternal, and spontaneous motion of matter? And that which we chance to regard as rest, -- may it not be equilibrium rather? Why, then, suppose now an inertia which definitions contradict, now an external potentiality which nothing proves?

Atoms having weight, M.Liebig infers that they are indivisible (p.

58).What logic! Weight is only force, that is, a thing hidden from the senses, whose phenomena alone are perceptible, -- a thing, consequently, to which the idea of division and indivision is inapplicable; and from the presence of this force, from the hypothesis of an indeterminate and immaterial entity, is inferred an indivisible material existence!

For the rest, M.Liebig confesses that it is impossible for the mind to conceive of particles absolutely indivisible; he recognizes, further, that the fact of this indivisibility is not proved; but he adds that science cannot dispense with this hypothesis: so that, by the confession of its teachers, chemistry has for its point of departure a fiction as repugnant to the mind as it is foreign to experience.What irony!

Atoms are unequal in weight, says M.Liebig, because unequal in volume:

nevertheless, it is impossible to demonstrate that chemical equivalents express the relative weight of atoms, or, in other words, that what the calculation of atomic equivalents leads us to regard as an atom is not composed of several atoms.This is tantamount to saying that more matter weighs more than less matter; and, since weight is the essence of materiality, we may logically conclude that, weight being universally identical with itself, there is also an identity in matter; that the differences of simple bodies are due solely, either to different methods of atomic association, or to different degrees of molecular condensation, and that, in reality, atoms are transmutable: which M.Liebig does not admit.

"We have," he says, "no reason for believing that one element is convertible into another element" (p.135).What do you know about it? The reasons for believing in such a conversion can very well exist and at the same time escape your attention; and it is not certain that your intelligence in this respect has risen to the level of your experience.But, admitting the negative argument of M.Liebig, what follows? That, with about fifty-

six exceptions, irreducible as yet, all matter is in a condition of perpetual metamorphosis.Now, it is a law of our reason to suppose in Nature unity of substance as well as unity of force and system; moreover, the series of chemical compounds and simple substances themselves leads us irresistibly to this conclusion.Why, then, refuse to follow to the end the road opened by science, and to admit an hypothesis which is the inevitable result of experience itself?

M.Liebig not only denies the transmutability of elements, but rejects the spontaneous formation of germs.Now, if we reject the spontaneous formation of germs, we are forced to admit their eternity; and as, on the other hand, geology proves that the globe has not been inhabited always, we must admit also that, at a given moment, the eternal germs of animals and plants were born, without father or mother, over the whole face of the earth.Thus, the denial of spontaneous generation leads back to the hypothesis of spontaneity:

what is there in much-derided metaphysics more contradictory?

Let it not be thought, however, that I deny the value and certainty of chemical theories, or that the atomic theory seems to me absurd, or that I share the Epicurean opinion as to spontaneous generation.Once more, all that I wish to point out is that, from the point of view of principles, chemistry needs to exercise extreme tolerance, since its own existence depends on a certain number of fictions, contrary to reason and experience, and destructive of each other.

5.Chemists distinguish between mixture and composition, just as logicians distinguish between the association of ideas and their synthesis.It is true, nevertheless, that, according to the chemists, composition may be after all but a mixture, or rather an aggregation of atoms, no longer fortuitous, but systematic, the atoms forming different compounds by varying their arrangement.But still this is only an hypothesis, wholly gratuitous; an hypothesis which explains nothing, and has not even the merit of being logical.Why does a purely numerical or geometrical difference in the composition and form of atoms give rise to physiological properties so different? If atoms are indivisible and impenetrable, why does not their association, confined to mechanical effects, leave them unchanged in essence? Where is the relation between the cause supposed and the effect obtained?

We must distrust our intellectual vision: it is with chemical theories as with psychological systems.The mind, in order to account for phenomena, works with atoms, which it does not and can never see, as with the me, which it does not perceive: it applies its categories to everything; that is, it distinguishes, individualizes, concretes, numbers, compares, things which, material or immaterial, are thoroughly identical and indistinguishable.

Matter, as well as spirit, plays, as we view it, all sorts of parts; and, as there is nothing arbitrary in its metamorphoses, we build upon them these psychologic and atomic theories, true in so far as they faithfully represent, in terms agreed upon, the series of phenomena, but radically false as soon as they pretend to realize their abstractions and are accepted literally.

同类推荐
  • 书法三昧

    书法三昧

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 普济本事方续集

    普济本事方续集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 浩然斋词话

    浩然斋词话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 华严一乘成佛妙义

    华严一乘成佛妙义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 北江诗话

    北江诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 青少年应该知道的皮影戏(阅读中华国粹)

    青少年应该知道的皮影戏(阅读中华国粹)

    皮影戏,是一种用灯光照射兽皮或纸板做成的人物剪影以表演故事的民间戏剧。表演时,艺人们在白色幕布后面,一边操纵戏曲人物,一边用当地流行的曲调唱述故事,同时配以打击乐器和弦乐,有浓厚的乡土气息。在相当长的历史内,这种拙朴的民间艺术形式很受人们的欢迎,现在皮影戏被誉为“最中国”的卡通而受到社会的广泛关注。
  • 瑶仙之离落传

    瑶仙之离落传

    离落,瑶族仙人唯一的幸存者,隐了身份坠入凡世,却遇上天魔混血的他,从此四界闹腾,闯情关,剜心忘情,却断了不这俗世七情六欲,那一场抢亲震惊四海八荒……“血寂,这一身嫁衣好生漂亮,嫁与我如何?”“离落,若能诱你,你与我同归何如?”
  • 网恋这盘菜

    网恋这盘菜

    秦宇从没料到抢个boss能引出这么大动静。那身无半两肉的小牧师居然有个大号位列异域十强。好在秦宇用的是朋友账号,没暴露出自己真实身份。否则被追杀滋味可不好受。惹不起她彤爱君,躲总行吧?喂喂,同学你说什么?你看见班长大人在玩异域,你说那优等生眼镜妹玩异域等级还比咱高?她叫什么?大声点听不见!什么什么?彤—爱—君!秦宇超淡定,45度角忧伤望天:上帝,不带这么整人的!
  • 恶魔老公,晚上见!

    恶魔老公,晚上见!

    从她被他收养那天开始,顾颜书就对他生出一种一日为父终身为夫的想法。于是,从遇见他开始,她对他的心动就没有停止过。外人眼中的他,高贵,冷漠,疏离,高高在上不可一世。她眼中的他腹黑,傲娇,小气,幼稚,而且还是个名副其实的大醋坛子。某日,某只傲娇一脸心虚的问“媳妇,如果哪天我要是惹你生气了怎么办?”顾颜书想也没想的说“那就跪着给我唱征服。”于是第二天,顾颜书看着某男人登上娱乐头条,被指包养小三,贴出的照片却是模糊不清的她这个正室席太太时,她怒了。然而下一秒,她却看到男人出现在电视里,指名道姓的为她点唱了一首“征服”
  • Hippolytus

    Hippolytus

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 活出那份娓娓道来

    活出那份娓娓道来

    有这样25个人,要么他们的名字让你如雷贯耳,要么他们的作品让你如雷贯耳。李健、刘若英、孟非、林青霞、汪涵、陈道明、吴秀波、史铁生、麦家碧张充和、韩再芬、老树、阿城……其实你还不够了解他们,真正打动你的是他们的植物系属性,拒绝嘈杂和喧哗,静水深流在自己的河道。他们呈现了生命最自然的状态:不喧嚣、不攀比、不攻击、不急功近利,像一株植物自然生长。这是一个找自己的过程,他们找到自己,并与自己和解。于是任生活匆忙、人心浮躁,他们内心有自顾自的坚持,在这个浮躁快速的社会中专注地、慢慢地、简单地过自己最想过的生活。
  • 神话秘境

    神话秘境

    秘境:盘古大神为了不让灵气从世间消失而开辟的一方世界。妖精:天生就能使用灵气,温柔善良。但因为外界人类的一次大掠夺大部分对人类恨之入骨。人类:秘境本无人类只有妖精和一些动物。因为人类在秘境的大掠夺导致愤怒的盘古将秘境封锁而遗留下来的人类。妖兽:原本是些普通的动物。因为人类进入秘境产生的浊气与灵气的影响下而进化出来的。神族:盘古的后代,其它一切都不为人所知。
  • 灵医小萌妃:诱拐妖孽夫君

    灵医小萌妃:诱拐妖孽夫君

    穿越成一只兔子是一种什么样的感觉?容绒告诉你,很爽!吃穿不愁,要啥有啥,还附赠谪仙老爹一枚,日子过得那叫一个惬意。直到有一天,她遇见了一只倒霉的大黑龙,从此她的生活目标变成了将黑龙诱拐回家。“我会治病,会炼药,会做生意会赚钱。你要报仇,我陪你斩草除根,你要江山,我陪你荡平天下,还不快点来娶我。”大黑龙点头:“好。”“呃……你要不要考虑一下?你不用这么快就答应的……”这是一个小白兔想要诱拐大黑龙却被大黑龙叼回窝的故事。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 看到你我的病都好了

    看到你我的病都好了

    人人都知道,魏方晋有一个白月光让他念念不忘,可是谁也不知道他的白月光是谁。当林琼回到祖国的怀抱的时候,就对魏方晋展开了猛烈的追求。所有人都说林琼不过是和魏总的白月光有几分相似才能得到他的青睐。而只有林琼自己明白,她就是魏方晋的念念不忘。
  • 盛世眷宠

    盛世眷宠

    当她被男友欺骗被继父出卖,那人就像是一缕温暖的阳光。但她万万没想到会跟一个只见过两次的人结婚,是巧合?还是注定?他曾经以为再也不会遇到那个放在心底的人儿,一次偶然却让命运把她再次带到了他的身旁,但是似乎她不认得他了。不过没关系,这次他会让她再也无法离开他的视线,用一辈子的眷宠来让她无法逃离…【片段一】:“你是做什么的?”“开了一家小公司。”后来她们才知道所谓的小公司到底是指什么。“你对我们家央央有什么企图?”“拐她结婚了算吗?”因为大致能猜到面前人在夏未央心中的身份,他耐心的回答道。“你承认有企图心了?”“男人对自己的老婆有企图心很正常吧,否则老婆会伤心的。”【片段二】:“老婆,对不起我错了!”男人低着头在她面前乖乖认错。“说说吧,错在哪了?”她好以整暇地看着他。“我不该没经老婆同意就私自替你拒绝别人的邀请。”“还有呢?”她挑了挑眉。“还有不该骗你。”“没有下次听到没有?”“绝对不会有下次的!”男人保证道,下次?他会直接让那家伙消失在她面前,敢勾引他老婆,哼…本文为一对一温馨宠文,某些剧情可能有些狗血,可是这算是作者的一个美好的梦吧,希望大家喜欢,多多收藏哦!