The universe began to be more directly conceived as a group of phenomena that are capable of rational and connected explanation.

Then, the wider the area of law, the greater is man's consciousness of his power of controlling forces, and securing the results that he desires.

Objective interests and their conditions acquire an increasing preponderance in his mind.

On the other hand, as the limits of science expand, so do the limits of nescience become more definite.

The more we know of the universal order, the more are we persuaded, however gradually and insensibly, that certain matters which men believed themselves to know outside of this phenomenal order, are in truth inaccessible by those instruments of experience and observation to which we are indebted for other knowledge.