II.

SPACE.

CAN SPACE HAVE BOUNDARIES?

Bear in mind that in the first chapter we prove that time is an existent reality; in this chapter we shall try to prove that space also exists. Space is the place where a thing is; and it is also the place where no thing is. Space is the place where the earth is; the earth’s diameter being about 7,925 miles, it fills so much space; if the earth were to disappear, the 7,925 miles of space would still exist, but it would then be empty space whereas now it is filled space. The sun, also, fills space, and the distance between the earth and the sun is space; beyond the sun is more space, and beyond the earth still more; and so on. It does not matter whether space is occupied or unoccupied; empty or filled; it is space, all the same. Space is a reality. Distance is a portion of space between two given points. Endless distance would comprise all of space in one direction.

Space has three dimensions: Length, breadth and thickness. It could never have a beginning, and can never have an ending. If all created things, and all substance should disappear, space would still exist; it would be merely blank, empty space, where now is filled space. Also, space can have no boundaries. If you try to think of a boundary to space, what will you think of as lying beyond the boundary? Something solid? Then that something solid must itself occupy space, while if there is nothing there, that nothing must be unfilled space. So, beyond any boundary that you can set for space, there must be still more space. Space is a reality; beginningless, endless, boundless. Time is a reality; and yet, neither time nor space are substantial things. They possess no power. They do not act, neither can they be acted upon. Time can be used, and space can be occupied; and that is what we do with them; we occupy space and make use of time.

Space is the field in which we must operate, and contain the raw materials which we must use. The claim has been made that space is non-existent to mind or spirit, because it does not require appreciable time for the transference of thought; but the validity of this deduction has not been proved. The distances with which we are able to deal are very limited; it might require a measurable time to send thought to the sun, or to the planet Mars, or for a spirit to travel those distances. Again, the argument is advanced that the moon “acts” on the earth; and that, as a thing cannot act where it is not, there is no space between the moon and the earth; but this is puerile. The moon does not, and cannot act on the earth, because it does not touch the earth; if it affects the earth at all, it must act on something which is between them, and which in turn acts on the earth. And this something which is between the earth and the moon occupies space.

I have spoken of filled space and empty space. I do not know whether empty space exists or not, but it is quite thinkable that it should exist. There may be portions of empty space, surrounded by filled space; or there may be endless extensions of empty space, side by side with endless extensions of filled space; I do not know. I know that there is filled space, and that there may be empty space. But, if there is filled space, what fills it? The answer to this must be in one word--Substance. That which is not substance is not anything, and that which is not anything cannot fill space. Space is filled by substance, and cannot be filled by anything else; but what is substance, and how do we know that it exists? That we leave for the next chapter, closing this with the claim that we have demonstrated that we live in space, and that life consists in making use of time.