DYNAMIC THOUGHT/PART 8
CHAPTER VIII
THE FORCES OF NATURE
THE
Substance filling the Universe is in constant and unceasing Motion. Motion is
evidenced in every physical and chemical process and change, and manifested in
the constant interchange of position of the Particles of Substance.
There
is absolutely no rest in Nature—everything is constantly changing—moving—and
vibrating. Building-up processes are ever at work forming larger masses or
bodies of the Particles—and tearing-down processes, disintegration and
decomposition of Molecules and Atoms, and Corpuscles, are constantly at work
also. Nature maintains a constant balance among her Forces. If the building-up
energies and forces were allowed full sway, then all the Particles in the
Universe ultimately would gravitate to a common centre, thus forming a compact
and solid Mass, which would thus dwell for Eternity, unless the Creative Power
should move upon it and again scatter its Particles in all directions.
And, if the tearing-down, and dispersive forces and energies were allowed full
sway, the Particles would fly apart and would remain asunder for Eternity,
unless called together by some new Creative fiat.
But
Nature pits one force against another, maintaining an equilibrium. The result
is constant play and inter-play of forces, causing distribution, and
redistribution of Particles, following the gathering-together and building-up
processes.
There
is no lost motion, or waste force. One form of force and motion is converted
into another, and so on, and on. Nothing is lost—all force is conserved, as we
shall see as we proceed.
In
the public mind—or rather, in the mind of that part of the public which think
of the matter at all—there seems to be an idea that "Force" is
something of the nature of an entity, separate from Substance or Mind—something
that pounces down upon Substance and drives it along by presence from without.
The ancient philosophers regarded Substance as acted upon from without by
an entity called Force, Substance being regarded as absolutely inert and
"dead." This idea, which is still held by the average person, owing,
doubtless, to the survival of old forms of expression, was generally held
by philosophers until the time of Descartes and Newton. This old idea was due
to the teachings of Aristotle—he of the Ether Theory—and Science and Philosophy
were timid about shaking off the Aristotelian dogmas. Others held that Light,
Heat and Electricity were "fluids" conveyed from body to body—in fact
the general public still entertains this idea regarding Electricity, owing to
the use of the term "the Electric fluid."
The
present teaching of Science is that Force is the result of the motion of the
Particles of Substance, and, of course, originates from within,
rather than from without. It is true that Motion may be communicated to a body
by means of another body in Motion imparting the same to it, but that does not
alter the case, for the Original Motion came from the movement and vibration of
the Particles of Substance, although it may have passed through many stages of
transformation, change and transmission in its progress. The only exception to
the rule is Gravitation, which is a form of Force, the nature of which is
unknown to Science, although its laws of operation, etc., are understood. We
shall learn some new facts about Gravitation in the forthcoming chapters of
this book.
It
will be well for us to remember this fact, in our
consideration of Force and Motion—that Force and Motion originate from
the inherent property of Motion passed by the Particles of Substance, and come
from within, not from without. This is the best teaching of Modern
Science, and also, forms an important part of the Theory of Dynamic Thought
which is advanced in this book. Buchner, the author of "Force and
Matter," vigorously insists upon this conception, saying, among many
other similar expressions: "Force may be defined as a condition of
activity or a motion of matter, or of the minutest particles of matter or a
capacity thereof."
The
term "Force" is generally defined in works on Physics as "That
which causes, changes or terminates Motion." The word "Force" is
generally used in the sense of "in action," while "Energy"
is usually used in the sense of "Potential Force—capacity for performing
work," the idea being that it is "stored-up" force, or
"force awaiting use." The term "Power" is used in two
senses, the first meaning "a measure of Mechanical Energy," such as a
"forty horse-power engine," etc.; the second sense being
"Capacity or Ability to Act, or exercise Force," this use being
almost identical to the idea of "Energy," as above described,
although, possibly, a little stronger expression.
The
Materialistic school holds that Force is a property of Matter, the latter being
regarded as the "real thing" of the Universe. Others hold that Force
is the "real thing," and that what is called Matter, or Substance, is
but a centre of Force, etc. Others hold that the two are but aspects of the same
thing, calling the "thing" by the name "Matter-Force," or
"Force-Matter." Haeckel calls this combined "thing" by the
name of "Substance," claiming that what are called Matter and Force
are but "attributes" of it, the third "attribute" being
"Sensation," which he holds is akin to Mind—"Haeckel's
Substance" is held to be Eternal, and Self-existent—its own Cause, in
fact. (In this book the term "Substance" is not used in this sense,
but merely as synonymous with what Science usually calls "Matter.")
The
views advanced in this book differ materially from any of those above
mentioned, it being held by the writer that "All Force is Vital-Mental
Force," and, consequently, "Force" as a separate thing is
considered an unreasonable proposition—what is called "Force" being
considered merely an action of Mind upon Substance, causing Motion. The writer
does not intend to advance this idea at this point beyond the mere mentioning
of the fact—the theory being brought out and developed as we proceed—and he
will proceed to a consideration of the phenomena of Force, along the lines of
Modern Science, believing that in this way the subject may be better
understood.
The
term "Motion," as used in Physics, is defined as: "The act,
process or state of changing place or position; movement"—(Webster). So
you see, Motion is the movement of Substance changing place or position; Force
is that which causes, changes or terminates Motion; and Energy is the
"capacity" for manifesting Force; and Power the Ability to Act. In
works on Physics you will notice the expression, "Potential Energy,"
meaning Energy awaiting action; also "Kinetic Energy," meaning Energy
in Action; that is, in Motion. We shall not need these terms in this book, but
it is well to understand them.
Another
term frequently met with, is "Conservation of Energy," which is used
to indicate that Law of Physics the operation of which renders Energy
indestructible. That is, Science holds that Energy can not be destroyed—that it
is not lost, or created, but is merely transformed into other forms of Energy,
Potential or Kinetic. Therefore, after Energy is used, it either passes into a
state of Potential Energy or Rest, awaiting a future call to Activity, or else
is immediately transformed into another form of Kinetic Energy, or Energy
in Action. The theory holds that the quantity or amount of Energy in the
Universe is fixed in its totality—none may be created or destroyed—there can be
no addition to, or subtraction from the Totality of Energy—that all Energy used
has been previously stored up, or else has been immediately transmitted or
transformed. It is also held that when Energy manifests as the result of work
performed, it is always found that it is at the expense of some previously
manifested form of Energy—that the agency by which the work is performed always
parts with its stock of Energy, and that the thing worked upon always acquires
or gains the amount of Energy lost by the aforesaid agent, or worker—and yet
there is no actual loss or gain, but merely transformation.
The
above theory is mentioned as of interest in the general subject, although it
does not play a prominent part in the subject of this book, for the writer
holds that all Energy resides in Mind, and emerges therefrom, and, in the end,
returns thereto. This being believed, it is seen that Energy is not to be
thought of as a separate thing having a "totality," but merely as a
quality of Mind—the question of its totality or fixed quantity not being
inquired into, although both, probably, run along the lines of the nature of
Mind, and depend upon the limitations, or lack of limitations, of the latter.
However, the question does not assume a vital importance in our consideration
of the subject.
So
far as the question of transmission, or transformation of Energy, is concerned,
however, the principles of the Law of Conservation of Energy may be accepted as
correct, although it more properly belongs to the principle of what has been
called "The Corelation of Force," the idea of which is that one form
of Energy may be, and is always, transformed into another form, and so on, and
on, unto infinity. This idea is followed in this book, except that the idea of
"From Mind originally, to Mind finally," is incorporated within it.
This law of the "Corelation of Force" may be illustrated by the
following quotation from Tyndall, the great scientist of the last century, who
says:
"A
river, in descending from an elevation of 7720 feet, generates an amount of
heat competent to augment its own temperature 10 degrees F., and this amount of
heat was abstracted from the sun, in order to lift the matter of the river to
the elevation from which it falls. As long as the river continues on the
heights, whether in the solid form as a glacier, or in the liquid form as a
lake, the heat expended by the sun in lifting it has disappeared from the
universe. It has been consumed in the act of lifting. But, at the moment that
the river starts upon its downward course, and encounters the resistance of its
bed, the heat expanded in its elevation begins to be restored. The mental eye,
indeed, can follow the emission from its source through the ether, as vibratory
motion, to the ocean, where it ceases to be vibration, and takes the potential
form among the molecules of aqueous vapor; to the mountain-top, where the heat
absorbed in vaporization is given out in condensation, while that expended by
the sun in lifting the water to its present elevation is still
unrestored. This we find paid back to the last unit by the friction along the
river's bed; at the bottom of the cascade, where the plunge of the torrent is
suddenly arrested; in the warmth of the machinery turned by the river; in the
spark from the millstone; beneath the crusher of the miner; in the Alpine
saw-mill; in the milk-churn of the chalet; in the supports of the cradle in which
the mountaineer, by water-power, rocks his baby to sleep. All the forms of
mechanical motion here indicated are simply the parcelling out of an amount of
calorific motion derived originally from the sun; and, at each point at which
the mechanical motion is destroyed or diminished, it is the sun's heat
which is restored."
The
following quotation, also, is interesting as illustrating another phase of this
law:
"The
work performed by men and other animals is due to the transformed energy of
food. This food is of vegetable origin and owes its energy to the solar rays.
The energy of men and animals is, therefore, the transformed energy of the sun.
Excepting the energy of the tides, the sun's rays are the source of all the
forms of energy practically available. It has been estimated that the heat
received by the earth from the sun each year would melt a layer of ice over the
entire globe a hundred feet in thickness. This represents energy equal to one
horse-power for each fifty square feet of surface."—Anthony and Brackett.
From
the above quotations, it will be seen that the principal and most familiar
sources (or great storage batteries) of Energy, apparent to dwellers upon this
planet, are (1) the Earth manifesting the Power of Gravitation; and (2) the
Sun, manifesting solar heat. In Tyndall's illustration we see the force of the
sun's Energy—heat—raising the water from the ocean, by evaporation (although
aided by the earth's gravitation "pulling down" the heavier air,
allowing the vapor to rise). Then we see the Force of Gravitation causes
the condensed vapor to fall as rain or snow on the mountain-top—then causing
the rain to run into little streams, and so on until the river is reached—then
causing the river to start on its downward journey of over seven thousand
feet—then causing it to plunge over the cascade; to turn the wheels that
operated the machinery, and turned the millstone, and the crusher of the miner,
and the saw-mill, and the milk-churn, and the cradle. And, as Tyndall might
have added, had he lived a little later—in the running of the dynamo, which
running, produced electricity, that in turn caused lights to burn; other
machinery to run and manufacture things; stoves to cook; flat-irons to iron;
automobiles and engines to run; and many other things along the lines of
transmitting Energy, Force and Motion.
And
in this consideration, let us not forget the important part that
Gravitation—that most wonderful of all Forces—plays in the grand scheme of
Nature. Not only does this Force cause the planets to circle around the sun,
and, perhaps that sun around another sun, and so on, and on until the matter
becomes unthinkable—not only this, but it performs a million parts in the
affair of earthly Matter, as we shall see in a later chapter. The Force of Gravitation
is one of the greatest mysteries confronting Science to-day, although many
believe it a simple question. Gravitation and the Universal Ether contain the
great secrets of Nature that Man is striving to unveil. And yet, so
"common" is Gravitation that the race, including almost all the
scientists, take it as a "matter of course." We shall devote much
attention to the question of Gravitation in the forthcoming chapters of this
book, for it plays a very important part in the general theory of Dynamic Thought,
upon which this book is based. We shall have a special chapter devoted to it, a
little later on, and the matter will also come up for explanation further on in
the book.
But,
in the meantime, let us consider the other forms of Energy, viz.,
Heat, Light, Magnetism and Electricity, which with Gravitation and Attraction
of other kinds, form the Forces of Nature.
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