to the realm of fact, and can be decided only by the results of
observation and a study of the laws to which these results may
lead.

From the philosophic stand-point, a discussion of this subject
which is of such weight that in the history of thought it must be
assigned a place above all others, is that of Kant in his
"Kritik." Here we find two opposing propositions--the thesis that
the universe occupies only a finite space and is of finite
duration; the antithesis that it is infinite both as regards
extent in space and duration in time. Both of these opposing
propositions are shown to admit of demonstration with equal force,
not directly, but by the methods of reductio ad absurdum. The
difficulty, discussed by Kant, was more tersely expressed by
Hamilton in pointing out that we could neither conceive of
infinite space nor of space as bounded. The methods and
conclusions of modern astronomy are, however, in no way at
variance with Kant's reasoning, so far as it extends. The fact is
that the problem with which the philosopher of Konigsberg vainly
grappled is one which our science cannot solve any more than could
his logic. We may hope to gain complete information as to
everything which lies within the range of the telescope, and to
trace to its beginning every process which we can now see going on
in space. But before questions of the absolute beginning of
things, or of the boundary beyond which nothing exists, our means
of inquiry are quite powerless.

Another example of the ancient method is found in the great work
of Copernicus. It is remarkable how completely the first expounder
of the system of the world was dominated by the philosophy of his