The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, Vol. 1

Excerpt from The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, Vol. 1: January-June, 1876 One objection that might be made here ought perhaps to be answered at once. It may be said that substances have a being in themselves - namely, a constitution, as it is technically termed - that their constitution consists in the arrangement of atoms, of which they are in reality made. Whether this is the case or not, shall be in due course examined. I content myself with remarking that constitution has been, and always is, considered of very small importance in comparison with action, - the two standing to each other in the relation of spe culation and experiment. A moment's consideration of parti onlar cases will Show this. Indigo, sugar, salt, and alcohol were extremely valuable before any thing whatever was asserted of their constitution - valuable then as now, for the employ ments to which they could be put, the producer prudently regarding their constitution with a wise indifference. Hence, then, we are on sure ground in adopting action as a first prin ciple, whether we should have, or not have, to accept being or constitution at a later period. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.