Chapter VIII: The European Age of Reason

REJECTION OF AUTHORITY AND TRADITION, AND ADOPTION OF SCIENTIFIC TRUTH.--DISCOVERY OF THE TRUE POSITION OF THE EARTH IN THE UNIVERSE.

_Ecclesiastical Attempt to enforce the_ GEOCENTRIC DOCTRINE _that the Earth is the Centre of the Universe, and the most important Body in it_.

_The_ HELIOCENTRIC DOCTRINE _that the Sun is the Centre of the Solar System, and the Earth a small Planet, comes gradually into Prominence_.

_Struggle between the Ecclesiastical and Astronomical Parties.--Activity of the Inquisition.--Burning of_ BRUNO.--_Imprisonment of_ GALILEO.

INVENTION OF THE TELESCOPE.--_Complete Overthrow of the Ecclesiastical Idea.--Rise of Physical Astronomy._--NEWTON.--_Rapid and resistless Development of all Branches of Natural Philosophy._

_Final Establishment of the Doctrine that the Universe is under the Dominion of mathematical, and, therefore, necessary Laws._

_Progress of Man from Anthropocentric Ideas to the Discovery of his true Position and Insignificance in the Universe._

CHAPTER IX.

THE EUROPEAN AGE OF REASON--(_Continued_).

HISTORY OF THE EARTH.--HER SUCCESSIVE CHANGES IN THE COURSE OF TIME.

_Oriental and Occidental Doctrines respecting the Earth in Time.--Gradual Weakening of the latter by astronomical Facts, and the Rise of Scientific Geology._

_Impersonal Manner in which the Problem was eventually solved, chiefly through Facts connected with Heat._

_Proofs of limitless Duration from inorganic Facts.--Igneous and Aqueous Rocks._

_Proofs of the same from organic Facts.--Successive Creations and Extinctions of living Forms, and their contemporaneous Distribution._

_Evidences of a slowly declining Temperature, and, therefore, of a long Time.--The Process of Events by Catastrophe and by Law.--Analogy of Individual and Race Development.--Both are determined by unchangeable Law._

_Conclusion that the Plan of the Universe indicates a Multiplicity of Worlds in infinite Space, and a Succession of Worlds in infinite Time._