“Citizens of the Universe”

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

The collection of works by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, translated into English

1933

Here we would like to begin from the beginning, i.e., from elements of the Universe. Who is an immortal citizen of space? It is its atom. An atom – not the one known in science, but a true one – an indivisible particle, matter. Is there any of such? Hardly so. Let’s refer to scientific facts. All so-called atoms (92 items) are composed of hydrogen. Hydrogen itself is complex. But there is also aether. It consists of extremely small particles. It is possible that all matter, i.e. all other atoms, consists of them.

A true atom is unknown. One thing is observed: the simpler the atom, the more difficult its disintegration is. The most massive atoms decay in thousands of years and even less. Less massive ones – in billions of years. Even more common – in billions, trillions and decillions of years. Particles of hydrogen and aether may be of this kind.

Matter is a carrier of sense, since there is nothing but matter. What then we can attribute a feeling to? Where the matter is, where the atom is, there is a feeling. Atom or a part of it can be called primal (primitive), or simple, spirit, but, as we have seen, each atom is a composition of the simplest. Destiny of an unknown simplest one depends on participation of the atoms known to science.*

There are as many true atoms, as there are primal spirits. A primal spirit wanders through the universe and forms unions. We recognize only unions in the world. Life and feeling of an atom depends on the complexity of the union, which it is in: the more complex the union is, the more complex the activity and feeling of the atom. Here is a rough representation of gradually increasing complexity of an atom’s life.

…………………………………………………… (beginning unknown).

1. Life in a particle of ether. Existence for decillions of years, and then disintegration into simpler particles or entering into a combination of more complex ones.

…………………………………………………… (gap of unknown length).

2. Existence for trillions of years in a hydrogen particle, and then – disintegration or entering a more complex structure.

3. Being in 92 atoms of known elements, then – disintegration or complication.

4. Life in plants and lower animals.

5. Life in human and higher creatures.

A single “Self”, or a single spirit, exists only in an unknown primitive atom. All other known particles contain the more spirits, the more complicated the particle is. Only unions of spirits are known to us. Even particles of aether are unions of spirits. But this union is very stable, almost indestructible, because lasts for decillions of years. A great number of spirits in it, possibly, feel concordantly. The word ‘feeling’ has only mathematical value here, like a speck of dust, which we do not weigh, do not measure and do not consider its mass. This is a conditional nonexistence. Only in higher animals spirits experience what we conditionally name life, or being.

A man or an even higher combination reflects the Universe not fully, but correctly. Such a combination of spirits is a very complex alliance of spirits under single control. But this combination, as the most passive one, is the least stable. However, duration of this stability can grow considerably. It is indeterminate and to a large extent depends on the mechanism of the union. Like life of a republic or its stability depends on the laws of the country, and timespan of an animal’s existence – on perfection of its organization. There can be such an organization of a country that it not only will preserve itself but also will prevail against all others organized otherwise. In the same way, a successful animal can become a prevailing type.

Let us – conventionally – name a primitive spirit ‘aether’. What is its destiny? It roams all over the Universe and whatever its state, the same is state of an atom. Whatever destiny of one atom is, the same is destiny of all.

So, to know destiny of an atom, we must know destiny of the Universe. It also is reflected in higher human creatures and that is why is known to them.

It is science with its conclusions, that is a reflection of space. Intellect and feelings are the source of science.

Every mature mind says the same: if there will be no evil, sorrow, imperfection, ignorance, weakness and insanity in the Universe, it will be good for an atom as well.

The conclusion from the above-mentioned is the following: everything which is bad, causes suffering or multiplies insanity must be eliminated from the Universe. But eliminated without cruelty to anything being destroyed. How to do it? Very easily – reproduction of the imperfect should be stopped. There are many methods to achieve it.

Alternatively, it is necessary to focus all forces of intelligent higher creatures on facilitating reproduction of everything perfect. Let the world be filled by it – as quickly as possible – and let the intellect, which brings happiness and annihilates sorrow, dominate in the world.

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* Destiny of an unknown simplest one depends on participation of the atoms known to science. (Russian – Участь неизвестного простейшего зависит от участия известных науке атомов.)

Translator’s note: There are grounds for believing that there might be a typo in one word of the original Russian phrase which changes its meaning considerably. If it is so, the phrase is “Участь неизвестного простейшего зависит от участи известных науке атомов” and its English translation is the following: Destiny of an unknown simplest one depends on destiny of the atoms known to science.

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