New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-05

,,ot "a reoards the more strictly called physical
and mechanical sciences. Goethe was IN THIS conui'
He could not formulate distinct mechanical conceP''
he could not see force of mechanical reasonuS
in regions where such reasoning relgns supecuo "
became mere ignis fatuus TO those who followed MN
have sometimes permitted myself TO compare AS'o"e
with Goethe to credit sCagirite with an aiiDos'
superhuman power OF amassing and systemauIuS ~,
but to consider him fatally detective on tha' Siu
mind In respect 10 which ncompleteness mas Occn J
ascribed to Goethe.
DEFECTS OF TIE sTAGiRITE'
wbewe refers the errors of Aristotle not TO neglect
of facts but TO a neglect OF the idea approp'''
the facts; the idea OF mechanical cause winch is '
and the substitution of vague or insppicaoie no'ion'
involving only relations OF space or emouons Va W."
dery This is doubtless true; but the word hegieo'
implies mere Intellectual misdirectoD, whereas IN ans
totle as In Goethe, IL was not, DeileVe
but sheer natural ncapacity which lay at inc i"''
his mistakes AZ physicist, Aristotle dspiayeu ""'
we shoud consider some OF the worst a'H'uuos o
modern physical observation-disclosures VI 'u"'
confusion of mind and a confident use OF language
which led TO the delusive notion that ne had reaB naS
tered his subject while yet had failed to grasp
even the elements OF It, He put words III the place Vi
things, subject In the place OF object de preaoneu "
ducon without praeticing II, inverting the true oru
Of inquiry by passing from the general 10 the Pa''
lar instead Of from the particular TO the general he
made OF the universe closed sphere In the center VI
which he fixed the earth. proving from general primer
pies to his own satisfaction and to that OF
the world for near 2,o)O years. that no otner
universe was possible. HIS notions OF motion were
entirely unphysical 1t natural or UNNATURAL oe'ei
OF worse calm violent-no real mechaheai con
ception regarding lying at the bottom OF MS mhu' nc
affirmed that cOnld not exist, ana proven 'na'
If 1t did exist motion in 1t would be Impossible lie ue
termined prori how many species OF animals must
r,-fue nile "
must have such and such parts. When an eminent
cotemporary philosopher. who is far removed from
errors OF this kind remembers these abuses OF the pr
orr method he will be able 20 make allowance 'or INC
jealousy OF ply scsts the acceptances OF soced
pror truths. Aristotles errors OF detail were grave
and numerous He affirmed that only In man we hau
the beating the heart that the left side OF tue Douy
colder than the right that men had more teeth than
women and that there is empty space. not at the
front but at back Of every mans head There Is one
essential quality in physical conception which was en-
tirely wanting in those of Aristotle and his followers
I wish It could be expressed by word untalnteh oy
its associations; it signifies capaolhty OF Oehg
placed as n coherent picture before the MIND. Inc
Germans express the act OF pcturng by the WORD ro
tellen and the picture they call Vorseiinng We nave
no word IN English which comes nearer to our require
ments than imagination and, taken with it, proper I'm
itations the word WELL but as just init
mated it is tainted by associations and therefore OBJ
iectionabe 10 minds Compare. with reference TO
this capacity Of mental presentation the case OF the
Arstotean who refers the ascent OF water ID pump
10 Natures adherence OF avacuum with that OF Pascal
when he proposed to solve the question OF atmospheric
by Of the Puy de Dome In the one
case the terms explanation refuse 10 fall into
place as ply steal image; the other the image is
distinct the fan and of the barometer being clearly
figured as the balancing of two varying and opposing
pressures.
ARABIAN ADVANCES IN SCIENCE
During the drouth of the Middle Ages in Chrstendom,
the Arabian intellect fOrciby shown by Draper, was
active. With the intrusion OF the MOOrs Spain,
cleanliness order learning and refinement took the
place Of their oppostes When smitten with disease,
the Christian peasant resOred shrine, the Moorish
one to an instructed physician The Arabs encouraged
TRANSACTIONS the Greek philosophers but not from
the Greek poets They turned in disgust :" from the
ewdness Of classical mythology and denounced as
objectionable pasphemy all connection between the
impure Oympan Jove and the Most High God" Ora
per traces st further than Whewe the Arab elements
in scientific terms, and points out that the under
garment Of ladies retains to this hour its Arab name.
He gives examples Of what Arabian men OF science
cOmplished, dwelling particularly on Alhazen. who
the first Patonc that rays Of light
are emitted by the eye. He discovered atmospheric
fraction, and points out that the and
after they have set He explains the ENLARGEMENT or
the and and the shortening OF the vertical
diameters Of both these bodies when the
horizon. He is that the atmosphere decreases
in density with increase of hight. and actually
fixes its hight at 5ss miles. In the Book of the Bal
ance Wisdom he sets forth the connection between
the weight Of the atmosphere and ts increasing
density He shows that a body will weigh differently
in a aud dense atmosphere he considers the
force with which plugged bodies rise through heavier
media de understands the doctrine Of the center OF
gravity and applies 1t 10 the Investigation OF balances
and steelyards. He recognizes gravity force,
though he falls into the OF making it diminish
the distance, and Of making 1t purely terrestrial. He
knows the relation between the velocites spaces and
times Of falling bodies. and has distinct ideas Of capil
larry attraction He improves the hydrometer. The
determination OF the densties OF bodies as given by
Alhazen approaches very closely own. jon,"
Draper in the pous prayer Of Alhazsn. that in
the day ofJudgment the All-Mercfu will take pity
the sou OF Abur Rhan, because he the first OF the
of construct table specific GRANTEES"
II all this be historic truth land have entire confidence
in DR.. Draper, well may he "deplore the systematic
in which the literature Of Europe has conriyed
to put out Of sight scientific bgatons TO the No
homedans."'
CoPERSICUs-GIORDANo BRUNO.
Toward the close of the stationary period word
WEAKNESS, If may express it, took and more
possession Of mems minds. Christendom had become
sick Of the school philosophy and its verbal wastes
which led TO issue. but left the intellect everlast
ing haze. Here and there heard the voice of one
mpatently crying in the wilderness "Not unto Arls-
totle, not unto subtle hypothesis, not unto church,
Bible, or blind tradition, for a owedge
of the universe but 20 the direct OF
by observation and experiment" In I54s the epoch
making work of Copernicus paths heavenly
bodies appeared. The total crash of Aristotes closed
universe with the earth at center folio wed
sequence and the earth moves" became q kind OF
watchword among intellectual freemen. Coperncus
OF the church OF Frauenburg, the diocese
of Ermeland For SO years he had withdrawn himself
from world and devoted himself consolidation
OF mis- great scheme OF the solar system. He made
In lncka To ho red