Astronomy and General Physics Considered with Reference to Natural Theology

by William Whewell

CONTENTS.

[Within the last year or two, several works have been published in this country on subjects more or less closely approaching to that here treated. It may, therefore, be not superfluous to say that the author of the following pages believes that he has not borrowed any of his views or illustrations from recent English writers on Natural Theology.]

			Page.
[INTRODUCTION.]
[Chapter I.]		Object of the Present Treatise	13
	[II.]	On Laws of Nature	17
	[III.]	Mutual Adaptation of Laws of Nature	20
	[IV.]	Division of the Subject	23
[BOOK I. Terrestrial Adaptations]			25
[Chapter I.]		The Length of the Year	28
	[II.]	The Length of the Day	37
	[III.]	The Mass of the Earth	43
	[IV.]	The Magnitude of the Ocean	50
	[V.]	The Magnitude of the Atmosphere	51
	[VI.]	The Constancy and Variety of Climates	52
	[VII.]	The Variety of Organization corresponding to the Variety of Climate	57
	[VIII.]	The Constituents of Climate	66
		The Laws of Heat with respect to the Earth	67
	[IX.]	The Laws of Heat with respect to Water	70
	[X.]	The Laws of Heat with respect to Air	81
	[XI.]	The Laws of Electricity	91
	[XII.]	The Laws of Magnetism	93
	[XIII.]	The Properties of Light with regard to Vegetation	94
	[XIV.]	Sound	96
	[XV.]	The Atmosphere	102
	[XVI.]	Light	104
	[XVII.]	The Ether	111
	[XVIII.]	Recapitulation	113
[BOOK II. Cosmical Arrangements]			119
[Chapter I.]		The Structure of the Solar System	121
	[II.]	The Circular Orbits of the Planets round the Sun	123
	[III.]	The Stability of the Solar System	127
	[IV.]	The Sun in the Centre	134
	[V.]	The Satellites	137
	[VI.]	The Stability of the Ocean	140
	[VII.]	The Nebular Hypothesis	143
	[VIII.]	The Existence of a Resisting Medium in the Solar System	150
	[IX.]	Mechanical Laws	163
	[X.]	The Law of Gravitation	166
	[XI.]	The Laws of Motion	178
	[XII.]	Friction	183
[BOOK III. Religious Views]			193
[Chapter I.]		The Creator of the Physical World is the Governor of the Moral World	195
	[II.]	On the Vastness of the Universe	205
	[III.]	On Man’s Place in the Universe	212
	[IV.]	On the Impression produced by the Contemplation of Laws of Nature; or, on the Conviction that Law implies Mind	223
	[V.]	On Inductive Habits; or, on the impression produced on Men’s Minds by discovering Laws of Nature	230
	[VI.]	On Deductive Habits; or, on the Impression produced on Men’s Minds by tracing the Consequences of ascertained Laws	243
	[VII.]	On Final Causes	257
	[VIII.]	On the Physical Agency of the Deity	267
	[IX.]	On the Impression produced by considering the Nature and Prospects of Science; or, on the Impossibility of the Progress of our Knowledge ever enabling us to comprehend the Nature of the Deity	273

ON

ASTRONOMY

AND

GENERAL PHYSICS.

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