BY LORENZ OKEN, M.D. PROFESSOR OF NATURAL HISTORY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZÜRICH; &c. &c. FROM THE GERMAN ALFRED TULK, MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND. LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE RAY SOCIETY. MDCCCXLVII. C. AND J. ADLARD, PRINTERS, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE. "Of all truths relating to phenomena, the most valuable to us are those which relate to the order of their succession. On a knowledge of these is founded every reasonable anticipation of future facts, and whatever power

It is with no readiness or pleasure that I write introductions of any kind, and usually abstain from doing so, partly because they appear to me like a kind of apology or makeshift for the author, and partly because the contents of the book itself should indicate his status or position. With regard, however, to the history of the work, some few words are certainly requisite for its Translation. I wrote the first Edition of 1810 in a kind of inspiration, and on that account it was not so well arra

The first principles of the present work I laid down in my small pamphlet entitled Grundriss der Naturphilosophie, der Theorie der Sinne und der darauf gegrundeten Classification der Thiere ; Frankfurt bey Eichenberg, 1802, 8vo (out of print). I still abide by the position there taken, namely, that the Animal Classes are virtually nothing else than a representation of the sense-organs, and that they must be arranged in accordance with them. Thus, strictly speaking, there are only 5 Animal Classe

CONCEPTION OF THE SCIENCE. 1. Philosophy, as the science which embraces the principles of the universe or world, is only a logical, which may perhaps conduct us to the real, conception. 2. The universe or world is the reality of mathematical ideas, or, in simpler language, of mathematics. 3. Philosophy is the recognition of mathematical ideas as constituting the world, or the repetition of the origin of the world in consciousness. 4, 5. Spirit is the motion of mathematical ideas. Nature, their m

PRIMARY ACT. 55. The + - or, in other words, numbers are acts or functions. Zero is, consequently, the primary act. Zero is, therefore, no absolute nothing, but an act without substratum. Generally speaking there is, therefore, no nothing; the mathematical nothing is itself an act , consequently a something. The nothing is only postulate. 56. An act devoid of substratum is a spiritual act. Numbers are, accordingly, not positions and negations of an absolute nothing, but of a spiritual act. 57. T

a. GRAVITY. ( First form of the World. Rest. ) 148. In arithmetic the divine acts are only undetermined = numbers. In geometry the numbers obtain determinate or finite directions, become figures. All figures have, however, an especial direction to the centre. Figures are nought but centres manifoldly posited. 149. The direction to a centre is, however, an act, which never ceases to operate. The primary act strives therefore to posit ad infinitum nought else than a centre, i. e. points. 150. If t

a. REST, CENTRE. 209. Through light duplicity originates in the æther, by virtue of which the æther divides into central and peripheric æther. The peripheric necessarily rotates around the central. Every part of the æther is a sphere; the æther therefore is separated by the light into infinitely numerous central and peripheric spheres. Creation is an endless position of centres. The primary centre is inventive. 210. There cannot be therefore only a single central mass; otherwise the universe wou

CONDENSATION. 253. Through its separation into polar masses the æther becomes condensed , heavy and material. 254. This condensation is the result of the fixation of a definite pole on a definite mass of æther. The essence of the æther consists in its having no fixed pole, but that all the poles oscillate to and fro with the greatest facility from one particle of æther to the other. This is what is meant by indifference, by equivalency of poles; no part of the æther differs from another, because

FUNCTIONS OF THE ELEMENTS. 1. Functions of the Æther. 317. The spiritual activity of æther manifests itself as a process of combustion , which appears as fire. The combination of the substance with light and heat is fire; the elements have therefore originated by a process of combustion. All matter has undergone combustion, and indeed æther has been submitted to the same process. The process of fixation of the æther or the process of condensation, is consequently a process of combustion. 318. Ea

INDIVIDUALS. 463. All the matters that have hitherto originated have done so only in a general not a particular manner. They are constituent parts of the universe, in which as yet no distinctions reside. So soon as distinctions occur in the elements, they cease to be general matters, and become particular or individual things. The sum of the individuals is the Kingdoms of Nature. 464. The kingdoms of nature are the repetition of the world upon the planet. This repetition in consciousness is Natu

A. Galvanism. 867. If we take a retrospective glance at the development of the planet, we find that it commenced with the simplest actions, and then assumed a more elevated character by gradually drawing together several actions and letting them work in common. In magnetism the earth-element alone was active, and this having freed itself from the other elements by crystallization, asserted itself as a particular form upon the planet. By this single act of the planet, an extensive series of posit

1037. The Vegetable Kingdom is the individual development of the three planetary elements. 1038. Phytogeny represents the developmental history of individual plants, or, properly speaking, the idea of the plant. 1039. To the plant belong all the definitions that have been hitherto deduced. It is an organism fettered to the earth, is developed only apart from water, only in the dark, in the earth; is associated with the metal, with the carbon; is a magnetic needle that has been attracted out of t

1755. The animal kingdom is the individual development of all four elements. ZOOSOPHY, 1756. Is the development of the animal kingdom in consciousness. The repetition of the animal creation is spiritually divisible into Anatomy (Zoogeny), Physiology (Zoonomy), and Zoology. 1757. Zoogeny represents the idea of the animal or the developmental history of the individual animal. IRRITABILITY OF THE BLOSSOM. 1758. The Highest to which the vegetable kingdom could attain was the blossom; and of this the