Rights and Knowledge

January 1883, in the Berlin Academy of Sciences, and afterwards published

in his Collected Addresses ( vol . ii. 1887). As the author himself
mentions in a note (p. 500) that this gave rise, most unmeritedly, to
great excitement, and called down upon him the violent attacks of the
clerical press, I may be allowed to point out here that it contained
nothing new, I myself, fifteen years previously, in my lectures on The
Origin and Genealogy of the Human Race, having carried out in detail the
comparison between Darwin and Copernicus, and the service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The Darwin and Copernicus, and the
service rendered by
these two heroes in putting an end to the anthropocentric and geocentric
views of the world. (See the Third Series in Virchow and Holtzendorffs
Collection of Popular Scientific Lectures , Nos. 53 and 54, 1868, 4th
ed., 1881.) When Du Bois-Reymond says, For me, Darwin is the Copernicus
of the organic world, I am the more pleased to find that he agrees
(partly in identical words) with my way of thinking, as he himself, quite
unnecessarily, takes up an attitude of opposition towards me. The same is
the case with regard to the explanation of innate ideas by Darwinism,
which he has attempted in his address (1870) on Leibnitzian Ideas in
Modern Science (vol. i. of the Collected Addresses ). Here also he is
most agreeably at one with me in what, four years before, I had
elaborated in my General Morphology (vol. ii. p. 446), and in my
Natural History of Creation (1868). The laws of heredity and
adaptation explain to us how it is that `a priori ideas have been
developed out of what was originally `a posteriori knowledge, etc. I
cannot fail to be highly flattered in being able in these last days to
greet the renowned orator of the Berlin Academy as a friend and patron of
the Natural History of Creation , which he had previously designated a
bad romance. But his winged words are not on that account to be
forgotten, that the genealogical trees of phylogeny are about as much
worth as, in the eyes of the historical critic, are those of the Homeric
heroes ( Darwin versus Galiani , 1876).
[7] The Law of the Conservation of Substance .
Strictly taken, this belongs also to scientific articles of faith, and
could stand as the first article of our monistic religion. Physicists
of the present day, it is true, generally (and correctly) regard their
law of the conservation of energy as the immovable foundation of all
their science (Robert Mayer, Helmholtz), just as in like manner chemists
so regard their fundamental law of the conservation of matter
(Lavoisier). Sceptical philosophers could, however, raise certain
objections to either of these fundamental laws with as much success as
against their combination into the single superior law of the
conservation of substance. As a matter of fact, dualistic philosophy
still attempts to raise such objections, often under the guise of
cautious criticism. The sceptical (in part also purely dogmatic)
objections have a semblance of justification only in so far as they
relate to the fundamental problem of substance, the primary question as
to the connection between matter and energy. While freely recognising the
presence of this real boundary of natural knowledge, we can yet, within
this boundary, apply quite universally the mechanical law of causality.
26