The plan followed was that of bringing
together all the positive conclusions of the astronomer, the geologist,
the physicist, and the biologist, and by weighing these carefully in the
balance he arrived at what appeared to him to be the only reasonable
conclusion. He therefore set out to solve the problem whether or not the
logical inferences to be drawn from the various results of modern
science lent support to the view that our earth is the only inhabited
planet, not only in our own solar system, but in the whole stellar
universe. In the course of his close and careful exposition he takes the
reader through the whole trend of modern scientific research, concluding
with a summing-up of his deductions in the following six propositions,
in the first three of which he sets out the conclusions reached by
modern astronomers:
(1) That the stellar universe forms one connected whole; and, though of
enormous extent, is yet finite, and its extent determinable.
(2) That the solar system is situated in the plane of the Milky Way, and
not far removed from the centre of that plane. The earth is, therefore,
nearly in the centre of the stellar universe.
(3) That this universe consists throughout of the same kinds of matter,
and is subjected to the same physical and chemical laws.
The conclusions which I claim to have shown to have enormous
probabilities in their favour are:
(4) That no other planet in the solar system than our earth is inhabited
or habitable.
Pages:
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213