No Center to the Universe

In these matters, Memmius, flee far from the belief that all things, as some say, press toward the center of the universe, and that for this reason the world stands firm without any blows from outside, and that top and bottom cannot fly apart in any direction, because all things press toward the center—if you can believe that anything can stand upon itself; that the heavy things beneath the earth all press upward and rest upside down against the earth, like the images of things we now see in water. In the same way they maintain that living creatures walk about upside down, and cannot fall from the earth into the regions of the sky below them, any more than our bodies can fly up of their own accord into the precincts of the sky; that when they see the sun, we are looking at the stars of night; that they share the seasons of the sky with us by turns, and pass nights equal to our days.

But an empty error has commended these ideas to fools […], because they have embraced them with a twisted reason […]. For there can be no center where the universe is infinite; and even if there were a center, nothing could stand still there for that reason […] any more than for any other reason whatever. For all room and space, which we call void, must give way equally to weights, through center and not-center alike, wherever their motions carry them. Nor is there any place where bodies, once arrived, can lose the force of their weight and stand still in the void; nor may that which is void hold up anything, but it must go on giving way, as its nature demands. Things cannot, then, be held together in this way, overcome by a longing for the center.

Besides, they do not imagine that all bodies press toward the center, but only those of earth and water—the moisture of the sea and the great waves from the mountains, and whatever is held, as it were, in an earthly body; whereas they teach that the thin breezes of air, and hot fires with them, are carried away from the center, and that for this reason the whole ether round about twinkles with stars and the sun's flame feeds in the blue of the sky, because heat, fleeing from the center, gathers all together there; and that the topmost branches of the trees could not put forth leaves unless, little by little, food came to each from the earth […]

[…] lest, in the manner of flying flames, the walls of the world should suddenly scatter, dissolved through the great void, and the rest follow in like manner; lest the thundering precincts of the sky rush down from above, and the earth suddenly withdraw from beneath our feet, and all of it, amid the mingled ruins of things and of the sky, setting its bodies loose, pass away through the deep void, so that in a moment of time nothing would be left but empty space and unseen first-beginnings. For on whatever side you first suppose bodies to be lacking, that side will be the door of death for things; through it the whole throng of matter will rush out.

These things you will come to know thoroughly, led on with little labor; for one thing will grow clear from another, and blind night will not snatch the road from you before you see into the farthest reaches of nature: so will things kindle light for things.

Memmius, stay far away from the belief that some people hold: that everything presses toward the center of the universe. They say this is why the world holds together without any blows from outside, and why its top and bottom cannot come apart in any direction—because everything is pressing toward the center. As if anything could stand upon itself! They say that heavy things under the earth all press upward and rest upside down against it, like the reflections we see in water. In the same way they claim that animals walk around upside down underneath us, and cannot fall off the earth into the sky below them, any more than our bodies can fly up into the sky on their own. They say that when those creatures see the sun, we see the stars of night; that they take turns with us in the seasons of the sky; and that their nights are as long as our days.

But this is an empty mistake that has appealed to foolish people […] because they cling to it with twisted reasoning […]. There cannot be a center in something that is infinite. And even if there were a center, nothing could stay put there for that reason […] any more than for any other reason. All room and space, which we call void, must make way for heavy things equally, whether at the center or not, wherever their motion carries them. There is no place where bodies can arrive, lose the force of their weight, and stand still in the void. And void cannot hold anything up. It must keep giving way, as its nature requires. So things cannot be held together in this way, won over by a craving for the center.

Besides, these people do not claim that all bodies press toward the center. They say only the bodies of earth and water do this—the water of the sea, the great floods that pour down from the mountains, and anything made, so to speak, of earthy stuff. On the other hand, they teach that the thin breezes of air and hot fires move away from the center. That, they say, is why the whole sky around us twinkles with stars and the sun's flame feeds on the blue of heaven: the heat escaping from the center all collects up there. And they say the highest branches of trees could not put out leaves unless food reached each of them little by little from the earth […]

[…] or else the walls of the world might suddenly fly apart like flames, scattered through the great void, and everything else might follow in the same way. The thundering regions of the sky might crash down from above, the ground might suddenly drop out from under our feet, and all of it, breaking apart amid the mixed wreckage of earth and sky, might vanish into the deep void. In a single instant nothing would be left except empty space and invisible first-beginnings. For wherever you first allow bodies to be missing, that spot will become the door of death for things. Through it the whole crowd of matter will pour out.

You will learn all this thoroughly with very little effort. One point will make the next one clear. Dark night will not block your path and keep you from seeing to the very ends of nature. In this way one truth will light the way to another.