The Theory of Everything

42. All things we see here on Earth also pertain to phenomena, but it is not necessary to initially consider everything

The true nature of this visible world should show explain both:

• those things we observe from afar in the heavens
• those things we observe up close on Earth

Yet, we do not need to know the exact causes of everything.

We will only find the common causes that will be correct when see that they apply both to:

• known phenomena
• unknown phenomena

43. It is hardly possible that the ultimate causes of all phenomena are not true.

We can arrive at the ultimate causes if:

• we use only the most evidently perceived principles
• we deduce fromm those principles only through mathematical consequences
• those things which we thus deduce accurately agree with all the phenomena of nature

If we suspected that these ultimate causes that we discover were false then it means that God had created us so imperfect that we are deceived by the right use of our reason. This would be an injustice to God.

44. Those which I will present here to be considered only as hypotheses.

However, I might seem too arrogant if I affirm that I have discovered their true nature.

So I will label all that I will write henceforth as a hypothesis.

It might be considered false. But I will have done a great service if all that is deduced from it agrees with experiments.

In this way, we will derive as much usefulness for life from it as from the knowledge of the truth itself.

45. I will even assume here some things known to be false.

To better explain natural things, I will here trace their causes deeper than I believe they ever actually existed.

The world was created from the beginning with all its perfection, so that in it:

• both the Sun and Earth, and the Moon and stars existed
• on Earth:
  • the seeds of plants and the plants themselves
  • Adam and Eve were not born as infants but were created as adults.

Christian faith teaches us this. Natural reason also clearly persuades it.

Considering the immense power of God, we cannot think that He ever made anything that was not complete in all its parts.

Nevertheless, to understand the natures of plants or humans, it is much better to consider how they could gradually arise from seeds than how they were created by God at the beginning of the world.

We can devise very simple and easy to understand principles through which we can demonstrate how both the stars and the Earth, and finally everything in this visible world, could have arisen from certain seeds.

This is even if we know well they never did so arise, we will still better explain their nature than if we merely described them as they are now.

46. What I assume here to explain all phenomena

All the bodies in the world are composed of one and the same matter, divisible into any parts, and already in fact divided into many, which move in various ways and have some sort of circular motions, and always maintain the same quantity of motion in the universe.

But reason alone cannot determine:

• how large these parts of matter are
• how quickly they move
• what kind of circles they describe

THis is because God could have arranged them in countless different ways.

We are free to assume anything about them, provided all that follows from it agrees with experience.

Suppose:

• that all that matter that makes up this visible world was at the beginning divided by God into particles almost equal to each other, of moderate size, or median between all those from which the heavens and stars are now composed
• that all of them had as much motion in them as is now found in the world
• that they were moved equally, both individually around their own centers, and separately from each other, so that they composed a fluid body that the heavens are.
• that several together were moved around other points equally distant from each other as the centers of the fixed stars, and more numerous points that match the number of planets.

Thus, all those contained in the space AEINB would turn around point S.

Those contained in the space AEV around F, and so on for the others: thus forming as many different vortices as there are stars in the world.

47. The falsity of these assumptions does not prevent the truth and certainty of the conclusions derived from them.

These few assumptions can serve as causes to explain all the effects that appear in this world according to the laws of nature previously explained.

My principles are the simplest, easily-understandable, and most probable that can be devised.

Through the laws of Nature, it might be possible to deduce the current order of the universe from Chaos.*

But confusion seems inconsistent with the supreme perfection of God than proportion or order.

• Confusion can also be perceived less distinctly by us.

The proportion or order that consists of perfect equality is the simplest and easiest to understand.

Therefore, I suppose that:

• all the particles of matter were initially equal in both size and motion
• the only inequality in the universe are the positions of the fixed stars

With the help of the laws of Nature, matter successively assumes all forms it is capable of.

We can arrive at the form of this world if we consider those forms of matter in order.