
Transcriber’s Notes
SOME OPINIONS OF THE PRESS
THE FOURTH DIMENSION
PREFACE
CHAPTER I FOUR-DIMENSIONAL SPACE
CHAPTER II THE ANALOGY OF A PLANE WORLD
CHAPTER III THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A FOUR-DIMENSIONAL EXISTENCE
CHAPTER IV THE FIRST CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF FOUR SPACE
CHAPTER V THE SECOND CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF FOUR SPACE
CHAPTER VI THE HIGHER WORLD
In this early‑twentieth‑century exploration, the author tackles the puzzling idea of a spatial dimension beyond the three we experience. He deliberately sidesteps heavy equations, guiding the reader through analogies, visual illustrations, and everyday reasoning so that even those without a mathematical background can follow the argument. The opening chapters set the stage by contrasting ordinary, “permeable” space with the abstract spaces of geometry, inviting the mind to picture how a fourth direction might intersect our familiar world. Along the way, the writer connects the notion to familiar topics—from perspective in art to the way we think about time—making the subject feel both concrete and thought‑provoking.
Later sections expand the discussion with clear examples that demonstrate how objects would appear if they possessed an extra dimension, and what consequences that would have for motion and perception. The tone remains conversational, peppered with historical remarks and occasional humor, which keeps the material lively despite its abstract nature. Listeners who enjoy mental exercises will find the book a satisfying blend of philosophy, science, and imaginative speculation.
Language
en
Duration
~7 hours (420K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United Kingdom: Swan Sonnenschein & Co. Limited, 1906.
Credits
Chris Curnow, Les Galloway and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2022-01-13
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1853–1907
Best known for his mind-bending writings on the fourth dimension, this Victorian mathematician mixed science, philosophy, and early speculative fiction in a way that still feels surprisingly modern. His work helped popularize ideas like the tesseract and invited readers to imagine space in entirely new ways.
View all books
by Charles Howard Hinton

by Charles Howard Hinton

by Order of the Eastern Star. General Grand Chapter

by Stendhal

by Henry Adams

by John Henry Newman

by Stephen Charnock

by Brillat-Savarin