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SystemsoftheUniverse
HelpsupportNewAdventandgetthefullcontentsofthiswebsiteasaninstant
downloadorCDROM.IncludestheCatholicEncyclopedia,ChurchFathers,Summa,
Bibleandmoreallforonly$19.99...

Universe(or"world")isheretakenintheastronomicalsense,initsnarrowerorwider
meanings,fromourterrestrialplanettothestellaruniverse.Theterm"systems"restricts
theviewtothegeneralstructureandmotionsoftheheavenlybodies,butcomprisesallthe
agesoftheworldthepresent,past,andfuture.
Thepresentsystem,inthewidestsenseoftheterm,formsthesubjectofuniversal
cosmography.DescriptionsofthiskindweremadebyLambert,thetwoHerschels,
Laplace,Newcomb,andothers.Thepresentsectiontreatsonlyofthesolarsystem,andin
particularofthedisputedtheoriesofPtolemyandCopernicus,andtheproofsinfavourof
thelatter.
PtolemaicandCopernicansystems

(1)Greekastronomy
TheearliestastronomicalsystemsarefoundintheGreekschool.Noplanetarysystemcan
bediscernedinChineseorBabylonianrecords.
TheastronomicalknowledgeoftheGreeksshowsthreeperiods.Itsinfancyisrepresented
byPhilolausandEudoxus,ofthefifthandfourthcenturyB.C.Theearthisthecommon
centreoftheuniverse,withinthecelestialsphereofthefixedstars.Thegreatluminaries,
sunandmoon,andthefiveplanetshaveeachtheirconcentricspheres,uponwhichthey
slideintwodirections,longitudeandlatitude,keepingconstantlythesamedistancefrom
theearth.
TheflourishingperiodofGreekastronomyextendsfromHeraclidesPonticusinthefourth
centuryB.C.toHipparchusinthesecond.Observationwasmadeitsbasis.Thedifferent
degreesofbrilliancyobservedinthenearestplanets,Mercury,Venus,andMars,atthe
timesoftheoppositionandconjunctionwiththesun,pointedtoheliocentricorbits,and
analogydemandedthesamearrangementforJupiterandSaturn.Thehypothesiswasthen
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established,probablybyHeraclideshimself,thatthesunrevolvedannually,withthefive
planets,aroundtheearth,whilethemoonremainedonhersphereasbefore.Heraclides
alsomadeanimportantstepinadvancebyassertingthediurnalrotationoftheearth.His
systemwasafterwardsknownasthatofTychoBrah.Eventheannualmotionoftheearth
aroundthesunismentionedbyHeraclidesasheldbysomeofhiscontemporaries.The
heliocentricsystemwascertainlypronouncedanddefendedbyAristarchusofSamos,
althoughhiswritingsarelost,andknownonlythroughArchimedes,whoseworkswere
publishedayearafterCopernicus'sdeath(Basle,1544).
TheperiodofdeclinehadcommencedwhenHipparchusflashedupasthelastgenius
amongtheGreekastronomers.Theprecessionoftheequinoxes,whichhediscovered,was
madetofitthegeocentricsystem,thenprevailing,onlyacenturyafterAristarchus.The
philosophicalschools,inparticulartheStoics,begantopreferastrologytoobservational
astronomy.Thegeometricalknowledgethatapparentorrelativemotionremains
unaffectedbyaninterchangeofitscomponentmotions,aswascorrectlydemonstratedby
Apollonius,pavedthewaytotheconfusionofthesolarsystem.Itmustberemembered
thattheapparentplanetarymotionsareepicyclical,eachplanetrevolvinginitsownorbit,
theepicycle,aroundthesun,andwiththesun,ascentreoftheepicycle,apparentlyaround
theearthinacommonorbit,whichiscalledthedeferentorbit.Thesearethecorrectideas,
andwilleverformthebasisofsphericalastronomy.
ThedecadenceofastronomicalconceptsamongtheGreekphilosophersappearedintwo
ways:First,theyappliedthegeometricalfictionofApolloniustothephysicalplanetary
system,supposingthattheepicyclemustalwaysbethesmallerofthetwocomponentsin
apparentmotionand,secondly,theybelievedthataphysicalplanetcouldrevolve,all
alone,aroundafictitiouspointinspace.Fortheouterplanets,Mars,Jupiter,andSaturn,
theapparentorbitofthesunisthesmallercomponentthecommondeferentorbit.It
cannotbemadetheepicycle,withoutintroducingintothesystemthreenewcircleseach
withafictitiouscentre.Thiswasdone,butworsewastocomefortheinnerplanets,Venus
andMercury.Therewasnoneedforthemtodislodgethecommondeferentcircle,orsolar
orbit,asitwaslargerthanthetwoplanetaryepicycles.Andyetthecentreofthedeferent
wasmovedfromthesuntowardstheearth,atthecostofintroducingintothesystemtwo
newcirclesandtwoidealcentresofmotion.Theprecessionoftheequinoxesdiscovered
byHipparchusevenlentsupporttotheconceptoffictitiouspivots.Itseemedtoswingthe
poleoftheeclipticaroundthepoleofthecelestialsphere.InthisshapetheGreeksystem
oftheheavenlybodiescamedowntoposterityduringthesecondcenturyofourera
throughPtolemy'sSyntax.Thetwofundamentalpropositionsofthegeocentricsystem
viz.thattheearthhasnoaxialrotationandnotranslationinspaceformthesixthchapter
ofthefirstbook.TheSyntaxdidnotpassdirectlyfromtheAlexandrianschooltoEurope.
GreekastronomymadeitsroundthroughSyria,Persia,andTatary,underAlbategnius
IbnYunis,UlughBeg.ThePtolemaicsystemwasacceptedbytheArabicastronomers
withoutcriticismandwasmadeknowninEuropethroughtheirtranslations.An
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unintelligibleLatinAlmagesthadtakentheplaceoftheGreekSyntaxandrestedlikea
tombstoneonEuropeanastronomy.
(2)Europeanastronomy
NewastronomicallifeawokeinthefifteenthcenturyinGermany.NicholasofCusa
rejectedtheaxiomsofPtolemyPeurbachandMullerrestoredthetextofPtolemy'sSyntax
andCopernicusmadeithislifeworktodisentanglethecyclesandepicyclesoftheGreek
system.ThetaskofCopernicuswasharderthanthatofhispredecessorAristarchuson
accountoftheunanimousacceptanceofthegeocentricsystemformorethanathousand
years.ThefirstbookofCopernicus'sgreatworkOntheRevolutionsoftheCelestial
BodiesisdirectedagainstthePtolemaicaxiomsonthecentreoftheuniverseandthe
stabilityoftheearth.Herightlyobservesthattheuniversehasnogeometricalcentre.He
thengivescleardefinitionsofrelativeandapparentmotionandappliestheApollonian
principleofinterchangingthecomponentmotionsintheoppositesenseofPtolemy.The
complexheavenlymachinerywasexplainedbyatriplemotionoftheearthonearoundits
axisanotheraroundthesunandathirdaconicalmotionaroundtheaxisoftheeclipticin
periodsofrespectivelyoneday,oneyear,and25,816years.Ptolemy'snegativearguments
againstamovingearthwereansweredinamasterlymanner:
Ithadbeenobjectedthatadisastrouscentrifugalforcewouldbecreatedonthe
surfaceoftheearth.Copernicusretortsthatafargreatercentrifugalforcemustbe
admittedintheouterplanetsandthefixedstarsiftheyrevolvedaroundtheearth.
Theresistanceoftheatmospherewhichitwasurgedwouldsweepawayeveryobject
fromamovingearthwasdisposedofbyCopernicusexactlyasitistoday:each
planetcondensesandcarriesitsownatmosphere.
Athirddifficultywasraisedaboutnecessarychangesintheappearanceofthe
constellationsorinmodernlanguageaboutlargeparallaxesofthestarswhenviewed
fromoppositepointsoftheearth'sorbit.Copernicuscorrectlythoughtthestarssofar
awayastomaketheterrestrialorbitcomparativelytoosmalltoshowanyeffectin
theinstrumentsthenavailable.
ThenegativeargumentsofPtolemybeingdispelledthereremainedonlyonepositive
argumentinfavourofCopernicus.
(3)ReactiontoCopernicus
Thesimplicityoftheheliocentricsystemhadsufficientweighttoconvinceageniuslike
Copernicus.Henevercalledhissystemanhypothesis.Thefirstwhoexercisedcensorship
ontheworkDerevolutionibuswastheReformer,Osiander.Dreadingtheoppositionof
theWittenbergschoolheputthewordHypothesisonthetitlepageandsubstitutedforthe
prefaceofCopernicusoneofhisownallwithoutauthorization.Itwasmorethanhalfa
centurylaterthattheCongregationoftheIndexpointedoutninesentencesthathadeither
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tobeomittedorexpressedhypotheticallybeforethebookmightbereadfreelybyall.
TheargumentofsimplicitywasgreatlystrengthenedbyKeplerwhenhediscoveredthe
ellipticityofplanetaryorbits.Copernicushadfoundbylongyearsobservationthatthe
inequalitiesofplanetarymotioncouldnotbeaccountedfor,afterPtolemaicfashionby
simplyplacingthecircularorbitsexcentrically.Notbeingpreparedtoabandonthecircle
heresortedtosmallepicycles.Theirfinalremovalgreatlyenhancedthesimplicityofthe
Copernicansystem.Thencamethediscoveriesoftheaberrationoflightandofstellar
parallaxes.Whiletheyappearedasnaturalconsequencesoftheorbitalmotionoftheearth
theythrewonthePtolemaicsystemthecondemnationofanalmostinfinitecomplexity.
Thefixedstarswererecognizedtovibrateindoubleellipsestheirmajoraxesparallelto
theeclipticinperiodsofexactlyoneyear.Thedoubleellipsesaretheimagesofthe
terrestrialorbitprojectedonthecelestialspherebytheparallacticdisplacementofthe
starsandbythefinitevelocityoflight.Theformerkindismuchthesmallerofthetwo
andinmostcasesdwindlestoimmeasurabledimensions.Sometwelvehundredofthem
haveactuallybeenobserved.Theaberrationellipseshavetheirapparentmajoraxesallof
equallength.Thegeocentricsystemnotonlyhasnoexplanationforthesephenomena,but
cannotevenrepresentthemwithouttwoepicyclesforeachstarinthefirmament.The
Copernicanargumentofsimplicitytherebyreceivedanoverwhelmingcorroboration.
DirectproofsoftheCopernicansystem

Whiletheargumentofgreatersimplicityisonlyanindirectcriterionbetweenthetwo
opposingsystemsmechanicshasfurnishedmoredirectproofs.Copernicusactuallyhad
theminmindwhenhemaintainedthatcentrifugalforceinadailyrotatingcelestialsphere
wouldhavetobeenormousthattheatmosphereiscondensedaroundtheterrestrialglobe
andthatsingleplanetscannotrevolvearoundfictitiouspointsthathavenophysical
meaning.Keplerwastoomuchpreoccupiedwithgeometricalstudiesandwiththe
favouriteideaofcosmicalharmonics(Harmonicesmundi)torecognizeinthecommon
focusofhisellipticalorbitsagoverningpower.ItwasreservedforNewtonandLaplaceto
formulatethemechanicallawsofcelestialmotion.
(1)Theannualrevolutionoftheeartharoundthesunisanecessaryconsequenceof
celestialmechanics.
(a)Newtoncomputedfromthevelocityanddistanceofoursatellitetheamountof
attractionthattheearthmustexerciseuponittomaintainitsorbitalrevolution.Learning
thenfromFrenchgeometerstheexactdimensionsoftheearthhefoundtheforcethat
keepsthemooninherorbittobeidenticalwithterrestrialgravitydividedbythesquareof
thedistancefromthecentre.Thediscoveryledtothecomputationofthemassesofsun
andplanetsinclusiveoftheearththelatterturningoutmorethanthreehundredthousand
timeslighterthanthesun.Themechanicalconclusionisthatthelighterbodyrevolves
aroundtheheavierandnotthereverseor,inmorescientificlanguagethatbothrevolve
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aroundtheircommoncentreofgravitywhichinthiscaseliesinsidethesolarsphere.
(b)Oursatellitefurnishesanothermoredirectproofoftheannualrevolutionoftheearth.
CarlBraunshowsintheWochenschriftfrAstronomieX(1867)193thatthemoonis
attractednearlythreetimesmoreforciblybythesunthanbytheearth.Oursatellitewould
thereforeleaveusunlesswerevolvedwithitaroundthesun.Theearthisonlyabletogive
theannuallunarorbitaserpentineshapesoastohavethesatellitealternatelyoutsideand
insideherownorbit.
(c)NewtonalsoalludestocometsandshowsthatinthePtolemaicsystemeachofthem
needsanepicycleparalleltotheecliptictoturnitsorbittowardsthesun.Withourpresent
cometaryknowledgeofcometstheargumentcanbemadestringent.Numerouscomets
havetheirorbitswelldetermined.Overtwohundredofthemhavepassedtheecliptic
withintheearth'sorbit,andsome,likeHalley'scometatitslastappearance,almostinline
betweensunandearth.Mostofthecomets,includingHalley's,cometousfromdistances
beyondtheorbitofNeptune.Now,computationshowsthattheyallhavetheircommon
focusinthesunandthattheearthis,asarule,outsidetheirorbits.InthecaseofHalley's
comettheearthwas,atonetime,evenontheconvexsideoftheorbit.Themechanical
conclusionisasfollows:If,withoutanyregardtotheearth,thecometsobeythesun,the
earthmustdothe
(2)Thedailyrotationoftheearth
Thedailyrotationoftheeartharounditsaxisisdemonstratedinmanyways.Oncethe
annualrevolutionisproved,thedailyrotationbecomesamatterofcourse.Iftheearthhas
notthepowertoswingthesunarounditsowncentreonceayear,itwillbefarlessableto
dosoinonedayandifitcannotswingaroundonesun,whatcoulditdowiththe
countlesssunsoftheuniverse?Yet,wehavedirectandspecialproofsofthediurnal
rotation.Theyallrestonmechanics,partlycelestial,partlyterrestrial.Celestialmechanics
hasturnedintoproofswhatformerlyseemedtobedifficulties.Thisoccurredinthecase
ofstellarparallaxes,theabsenceofwhichhadbeenobjectedbyPtolemy,andthe
existenceofwhichwasshownbyBessel.Theprecessionoftheequinoxesalsohas
changeditsrole.Laplaceshowedittobeduetotheactionofthesunontheprotuberant
equatorialregionsoftherotatingearth.Thesimilarresultoftheactionofthemoonupon
theearthiscallednutation.Laplace'sdemonstrationwasbasedupontheflatnessofthe
earth,whichhadbeenmeasuredintheseventeenthcentury,andwasalsotheoretically
deducedbyhimfromtheexistenceofcentrifugalforce.Wehavehereacomplexreverse
ofroles.Theconsequencesofcentrifugalforce,sostronglyurgedagainstdiurnalrotation
byPtolemy,turnedouttobethecauseofprecession,knowntoHipparchus,andofseveral
phenomena,discoveredonlyafterthetimeofCopernicus.Precessionwasstillamatterof
specialdifficultytoCopernicus,andtheoneofthethreeterrestrialmotionsthathecould
notexplain.Tohimitwastheresultantoftwoannual,slightlydifferent,conicalrotations
ofoppositedirection,towhichnocausecouldbeassigned.
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Somuchabouttheproofsfromcelestialmechanics.Thereareothers,bymeansof
instruments,socalledlaboratoryexperiments.Theycommencedimmediatelyafterthe
timeofGalileiandseemtohavereceivedtheimpulsefromhistrial.Theexperimentsmay
beclassifiedchronologicallyinfiveperiodsorgroups.From1640to1770theywere
crudetrialswithoutresult.Theyearsfrom1790to1831wereaperiodofexperiments
withfallingbodies.Thetwentyyearsfrom1832to1852wereatimeofpendulum
experiments.Thenfollowedaperiod,185280,ofexperimentswithmoreelaborate
apparatusandthelast,since1902,maybecalledthatofmodernmethods.
ThefirstperiodisrepresentedbythenamesofCalignon,Mersenne,Viviani,and
Newton.Calignon(1643)experimentedwithplumblines,withoutknowingwhat
theirvariationsshouldtell.Mersenne(1643)hadpiecesofartillerydirectedtothe
zenith,rightlyexpectingawesterlydeviationoftheballs.Foucault'spendulum
experimentwasmateriallyforestalledbyVivianiatFlorence(1661)andPoleniat
Padua(1742),butwasnotformallyunderstood.Theeasterlydeviationoffalling
bodieswasexplicitlyannouncedbyNewton,butunsuccessfullytriedbyHooke
(1680).Galileihadalludedtoitbefore,inhis"Dialogo"(Opere,VII1897),ina
contradictorymanner.Inoneplace(p.170)hedeniedthepossibilityofthe
experiment,inanother(p.259)heaffirmedit.Lalandemissedtheopportunityoffirst
makingNewton'sexperimentattheParisobservatory.Thehonourwasreservedto
AbbateGuglielmini.
Thesecondperiodcomprisestheexperimentswithfallingbodies,madeby
GuglielminiatBologna(17902),byBenzenbergatHamburg(1802)andSchlebusch
(1804),andbyReichatFreiburg(1831)Thegeneraldriftoftheballstowardsthe
eastsideofthemeridianwasunmistakable.Itprovedtherotationoftheearthfrom
westtoeast,butonlyinaqualitativemanner.Quantitativeproofswereobtainedin
thenextperiod.
Threekindsofpendulumexperimentsfilledthethirdperiod.Thehorizontal
pendulumwasinventedandtriedbyHengler,in1832,fortheeffectsofthe
centrifugalforce.Theinstrumentisstillwaitingforamoredelicatemanipulator.
Foucault'sverticalpendulumdatesfrom1851,andwastriedfirstinacellar,thenin
theParisObservatory,andlastinthePantheon.Thedeviationofthependulumfrom
theoriginalverticalplanewasclockwise,asexpectedbyFoucault,butno
quantitativemeasureswereeverpublishedbyhim.Theyweremadeinmanyplaces,
chieflyinlargecathedrals.ThebestresultsknownarethoseofSecchiinRome
(1851)andofGartheinCologne(1852).SecchiexperimentedinSanIgnazio,in
presenceofmanyItalianscientists,andGartheinthecathedral,beforeCardinal
Geissel,royalprinces,andnumerousspectators.Thecounterproofinthesouthern
hemisphere,wherethedeviationofthependulummustbecounterclockwise,hasnot
beenmadetothisday.TheattemptatRiodeJaneiro(1851)cannotberegardedas
such.AconicalpendulumwassetinmotionbyBravaisinthesamemeridianroom
oftheobservatoryandinthesameyearastheverticalpendulumofFoucault.The
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experimenthadtheadvantageofbeingreversible.Swingingclockwise,thependulum
appearedtomovefasterthanintheoppositesense,forthereasonthatthetheodolite,
inwhichitwasobserved,followedtherotationoftheearth.Twopendulumsused
simultaneously,andmovinginoppositedirections,yieldedthecorrectvalueofthe
diurnalrotationwithinatenthofonepercent,aresultneverreachedbyFoucault's
pendulum.
Thesecondhalfofthenineteenthcentury,thefourthperiod,isremarkablefor
complicatedexperimentsandprofoundtheories.Theinstrumentswerethegyroscope
andthecompoundpendulum.TheinventionoftheformerisduetoFoucault,and
furnishedanewproofofthediurnalrotation.Itwasconstructedbyhiminthree
forms:theuniversal,thevertical,andthehorizontalgyroscope,socalledaccordingto
theirdegreesoffreedom.TheverticalgyroscopewasperfectedbyGilbert(1878)into
hisbarogyroscope,whilethehorizontalgyroscopewaslatelyintroducedonwarships
asanastronomicalcompass.TheproofsofFoucaultandGilbertcouldonlybe
qualitative,forwantofelectricmotors.Thedelicateexperimentmadein1879with
thecompoundpendulumbyKamerlinghOnnes,comprisesthoseofFoucaultand
Bravaisasspecialcases,andingeneralallthemovementsbetweentheplaneandthe
circularpendulumvibrations(see"SpecolaVaticana",I,1911,Appendix1).
Thefifthandlastperiodofexperimentsfallswithintheearlytwentiethcenturyand
presentsnolessthanfourproofs,allwidelydifferentamongthemselves.The
difficultexperimentwithfallingbodieswasbroughtwithinthewallsofthephysical
laboratorybyE.H.Hallin1902.Underimprovedfacilities,afallofonlytwenty
threemetresshowedtheeasterlydeviationbetterthanalltheprecedingtrialswith
heightsfromthreetoseventimesaslarge.In1904thegyroscopewasmadetoyield
quantitativeresultsbyFppl.Anelectricmotorgavetoadoublewheelof160
poundsaspeedofovertwothousandturnsaminute.Therotationoftheearthwas
strongenoughtodeviatethehorizontalaxis,whichwassuspendedonatriplewire,
sixandahalfdegreesfromtheprimevertical.Anovelschemehadbeentriedby
Perrotin1859.Hemadealiquidflowthroughthecentralorificeofacircularvessel,
andrenderedthecurrentsvisiblebymeansoffloatingdust.Wehavetotakehis
word,thatthecurrentswerespiralshaped,andrancounterclockwise.The
experimentwasrepeatedbyTumlirzinVienna(1908),anditsresultphotographed
andcomparedwiththeory.WhiletheexperimentsofHall,Fppl,andTumlirzare
repetitionsofformerones,withimprovedmethods,thenextproofofthediurnal
rotationisnewasanexperiment,althoughforecastintheideabyPoinsotasearlyas
1851.ItwascarriedoutattheVaticanObservatoryin1909.Itsprincipleisthatof
equalareasdescribedinequaltimes,appliedtoahorizontalbeamsuspendedinform
ofatorsionbalance,onwhichheavymassescanbemoved.Theshiftingofthe
massesfromextremitytocentrewillmakethebeamturnfasterthantheearththe
oppositewillhappeninthereversecase.Thelastproofhadneverbeenproposed
before,andconsistsinobservingthethreadoftheAtwoodmachineinatelescope.
Viewedinthemeridian,thethreadofthefallingweightisseentocomedowneastof
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theplumbline,butviewedintheprimeverticalitremainsexactlyplumb.This
experimentwaslikewisecarriedoutattheVaticanObservatoryin1912(see
"SpecolaVaticana",I,1911,appendixII,1912).
SomewritershaveexpressedsurprisethatCatholicscientistswereallowedtotake
partintheexperiments,e.g.thatBonfioli,domesticprelatetoPiusVIassisted
Guglielminiinmeasuringtheimpressionsoftheballsontheplateofwax,orthat
SecchidemonstratedtherotationoftheearthinRome"beforeallthepeople"(Wolf,
"Handbuch",I,Zurich,1890,no.262c).Wemustremember,however,thatwhatwas
condemnedinaformeragewasnottheexperimentbutathengratuitousassertion.

Pastandfutureoftheworld
Howtheworldhasdevelopedintoitspresentshape,andhowitwillpassoutofit,science
maynevertell.Cosmogonyistheacceptednameforallthehypothesesonthepast(from
kosmosworld,andgignesthaitooriginate).AcorrespondingformfromtheGreek,to
designatethespeculationsonthefutureoftheworld,cosmothany(world'sdeath),has
beenusedmorecorrectformationsareperhaps:cosmophthory(phthora,corruption)or
cosmodysy(dysis,occasus,decline).Worldmustherebetakeninallitsnarrowerorwider
meanings,asearth,solarsystem,stellarsystem,universe.
Cosmogony

Nocosmogonycanreallyclaimtobeascientifictheoryorevenhypothesis,intheproper
senseofasystematicdevelopmentofthedetailsfromadefinitenumberofassumed
principles.Propositionandrejectionarealikevagueanduncertain,andmustbeso,as
processesofextrapolationfromlaboratorylawstothefabricoftheCreator.
Formoreinformationonmythicalcosmogony,thereaderisreferredtothearticle
COSMOGONY.ForBiblicalcosmogony,seeHEXAEMERON.
Cosmodysy

Thisistheproposednameforallthehypothesesonthefutureoftheworld.Theliterature
oncosmodysyisfarlessextensivethanthatoncosmogony.Theyouthoftheworldseems
toexertastrongercharmonhumanspeculationthanitsoldageanddecline.Theredoes
notseemtoexistanymythicalcosmodysy,andverylittlecanbefoundonscientific
cosmodysies.SomuchthemoreexplicitanddetailedisBiblicalcosmodysy(seeDIVINE
JUDGMENT,IV).Andyet,fromascientificpointofview,theprospectiveconclusion
fromtheknownpremisesofthepresentworldwouldseemtobebetterwarrantedthan
retrospectivespeculationsuponcosmicalconditionsentirelyunknown.
Onesuchtheoryistheextinctiontheory.Thistheoryrestsonacertainirreversible
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process,commontoallnaturalphenomena,calledentropy.Whilethesumtotalof
cosmicalenergyissupposedtoremainconstant,theamountofpotentialenergyissteadily
diminishing.Itistheunstableconditionofpotentialenergythatanimatesallactivityinthe
universe.Driftingasitistowardsstability,itwillendinexhaustionandrepose.The
processisnotreversibleandconsequentlynotcyclical.Applyingittotheearthbut
abstractingfromorganiclife,itwillmeantheextinctionofitsinteriorplutonicpowerand
ofitsrotaryspeed.Theraisingandshiftingofcontinents,thecontinualtremors,
occasionalearthquakesandvolcaniceruptions,thegradualshrinkageofthecrustandthe
wanderingofthepolaricecaps,aresomanyirretrievablelossesofpotentialenergy.
Ourscantyscienceofcosmodysymightbeatemptationtolookforfurtherinformationin
theScripture.Willthedarkeningofsunandmoon,andthefallingofstars,lendsupportto
theextinctiontheory,forinstance?Thelikequestionmayberaisedincosmogony.Can
Genesisbeconsultedtodecidebetweenthevarioushypotheses?
Theanswerisgivenbyanattempt,madethreecenturiesago,incosmography.The
Scripturaldecisionofthecontroversy,whetherthesolarsystembegeocentricor
heliocentric,wasboundtobeafailureeitherway.Cosmogonicrevelationwasgivento
impressonthehumanraceitsphysicalandmoraldependencyupontheCreator.Likewise
hascosmodysicrevelationthepurposeofholdingouttomankindthefinaladministration
ofjustice.PurelyscientificcuriositywillfindnosatisfactioninScripture.

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Aboutthispage
APAcitation.Hagen,J.(1912).SystemsoftheUniverse.InTheCatholicEncyclopedia.
NewYork:RobertAppletonCompany.RetrievedJune6,2015fromNewAdvent:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15183a.htm
MLAcitation.Hagen,John."SystemsoftheUniverse."TheCatholicEncyclopedia.Vol.
15.NewYork:RobertAppletonCompany,1912.6Jun.2015
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15183a.htm>.
Transcription.ThisarticlewastranscribedforNewAdventbyTomasHancilandJoseph
P.Thomas.
Ecclesiasticalapprobation.NihilObstat.October1,1912.RemyLafort,S.T.D.,Censor.
Imprimatur.+JohnCardinalFarley,ArchbishopofNewYork.
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Contactinformation.TheeditorofNewAdventisKevinKnight.Myemailaddressis
webmasteratnewadvent.org.Regrettably,Ican'treplytoeveryletter,butIgreatly
appreciateyourfeedbackespeciallynotificationsabouttypographicalerrorsand
inappropriateads.

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