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It is clear from our previous considerations that the (special)

theory of relativity has grown out of electrodynamics and optics.

In these fields it has not appreciably altered the predictions of

theory, but it has considerably simplified the theoretical

structure, i.e. the derivation of laws, and-what is incomparably

more important-it has considerably reduced the number of

independent hypotheses forming the basis of theory. The special

theory of relativity has rendered the Maxwell-Lorentz theory so

plausible, that the latter would have been generally accepted by

physicists even if experiment had decided less unequivocally in

its favour.