New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-22

IDEALITY N THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES BY Bry
JAhIN PIERCE l2mo., PIP I'll. Little, Brown & Co.
The six lectures embraced in this volume were
delivered by the late Professor Peirce at the Lowell
Institute in Boston, in 1879, and published
under the editorial supervision of the authors SON
One of the chief aims of the distinguished mathe-
matican in this of the latest public labois of
his life, was " to testify his unwaYerng faith in
the ultimate advantage to religion of every move
ment OF scientific thought" While we find there
fore IN the lectures eloquent assertion OF the high
claims OF the physical sciences and an effective de
fence of the doctrine of evolution, Professor Percc
makes ample use of the opportunity to avow his
devout belief in the omnipotent Creator, and his
discussion of the formation of the universe the de-
veopment of worlds is perneatod with a
thoroughly religious spirit This characteristic of
his book is too strongly marked 10 be passed over
without emphatic notice.
The meaning of his title may perhaps be under
stood i'll two ways. He shows, with many peril
nent and brilliant illustrations how essential is the
power of idealizing-of classifying gencralizinp
combining. reducing and arranging facts-to the
study of physical phenomena and this principle is
developed especially i'll the first lecture, entitled
Ideality in Science" Modern scientists deyoting
themselves rigdly to the observation of external
facts have failed to the divine hand and there
lore have refused to recognize deity. But they miss
thus the one final fact which must also be the
primal fact, that In the beginning God created the
heavens and the EARTH" Without this treasure of
1aith, the omnlpresent ideaty of science termi-
mates in an impoverished and powcrless pantheisin.
With it, the observed ideaty is the divine thought.
and the book of nature is the divine record" In
this sentence from the peroration of the first ad
dress, we have clew to the second meaning of the
title, namely the divine idea or plan disclosed in
the laws of the universe and this view of the sub
Ject is beautifully treated in all the subsequent lee
lures. The second of the series, Cosmogonvv
points out The correspondence between the order of
creation as declared in the Book of Genesis and the
conclusions reached by study of the phenomena of
evolution as to the successive steps in the de-
velopment of the visible universe. The breyitv of
the Mosaic account L" is accordant with the wisdom
which restricted the creative action bv no finite
limitations. The long periods of time reousite Tor
the action OF finite gods or of laws of development
"ouiu nave oeeh objectionable restrictions OF al
rnghty power The creator Of time requires no
time for his grandest work. The least measured
interval, the single day, is tho equivalent OF
nlyrads of centuries with him who like science IL
self, has neither beginning end. The first
chapter of Genesis is the sublime termination of the
most magnificent example of evolution which the
history OF mind has exhibited" Professor Pcirce
next passes TO popular explanation of the Nebular
Theory as " the latest form to which cosrnogony
has grown under the sunshine OF modern science" a
Theory which he pronOunees grand ideal orgapi-
verse;" embracing "a complete ideal history of the
Inorganic world" In the third, fourth and fifth
lectures which trace the gradual transformation of
kebula into Planet, Satellite Comet and Meteor
and consider the process of cooling OF the earth and
sun, we have more of Professor Pcrce's individual
researches than there any occasion to present
In the earlier chapters. He deals here with certain
aspects of the Meteorc Theory and its relation to
The Nebular Theory, to which he had given close
and especial study and his exposition OF the nature
OF the meteors, their Office in the plan of the uni
verse and particularly their importance as source
OF heat both TO the and the earth will be found
interesting In the very highest degree. As regards
tne determination of the antiquity of the earth by
measurement OF the time required in its ceolne
from the temperature of the feasibility of the rocks
Professor Perce does not agree with Sir William,
thomson and others, and is not inclined to limit the
geological ages even to the millions of years a.
signed them by modern science. the last lecture
sophical argument for immortality is forciby pre-.
sented. and some ingenious specuiations are added
upon the future life. ~