Edgar Allan Poe approaches the most comprehensive and difficult of subjects in his philosophical essay, seeking to explain the physical, metaphysical, and mathematical universe. He rejects the strict limitations of purely deductive or inductive reasoning, arguing instead for the power of intuition and the fundamental principle that a perfect consistency is an absolute truth.
The core of Poe's argument rests on the proposition that the material universe originated from a single, primordial particle created by the divine volition. This initial unity was forced into an abnormal condition of multiplicity through a determinate irradiation of atoms into space. To prevent immediate re-union, a repulsive spiritual influence, which manifests as electricity, heat, and light, opposes the constant pull of gravitational attraction.
Gravity itself is explained not as an inherent and permanent property of matter, but as the inevitable reaction of the diffused atoms striving to return to their original state of absolute oneness. Poe applies this concept to support the nebular cosmogony of Laplace, demonstrating how central suns and planets condensed from rotating nebulous masses in precise mathematical accordance with the laws of irradiation.
The essay expands these principles from the solar system to the entire galaxy and beyond, viewing the stellar clusters as colossal atoms undergoing a progressive collapse. Space and duration are shown to be intimately linked, allowing sufficient time for complex physical and spiritual developments to occur across the cosmos.
Ultimately, Poe argues that when all matter fulfills its purpose and returns to its original unity through the force of attraction, the material universe will disappear. Matter was created merely as a means to manifest spirit, and upon the completion of this cycle, God will remain all in all in a perpetual renewal of creation.
