autobiography and selected essays-第13章

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search　for　natural　knowledge　of　so　merely　useful　a　character？　　You

all　know　the　reply。　　Astronomy；which　of　all　sciences　has　filled

men's　minds　with　general　ideas　of　a　character　most　foreign　to　their

daily　experience；　and　has；　more　than　any　other；　rendered　it

impossible　for　them　to　accept　the　beliefs　of　their　fathers。

Astronomy；which　tells　them　that　this　so　vast　and　seemingly　solid

earth　is　but　an　atom　among　atoms；　whirling；　no　man　knows　whither；

through　illimitable　space；　which　demonstrates　that　what　we　call　the

peaceful　heaven　above　us；　is　but　that　space；　filled　by　an

infinitely　subtle　matter　whose　particles　are　seething　and　surging；

like　the　waves　of　an　angry　sea；　which　opens　up　to　us　infinite

regions　where　nothing　is　known；　or　ever　seems　to　have　been　known；

but　matter　and　force；　operating　according　to　rigid　rules；　which

leads　us　to　contemplate　phaenomena　the　very　nature　of　which

demonstrates　that　they　must　have　had　a　beginning；　and　that　they

must　have　an　end；　but　the　very　nature　of　which　also　proves　that　the

beginning　was；　to　our　conceptions　of　time；　infinitely　remote；　and

that　the　end　is　as　immeasurably　distant。



But　it　is　not　alone　those　who　pursue　astronomy　who　ask　for　bread

and　receive　ideas。　　What　more　harmless　than　the　attempt　to　lift　and

distribute　water　by　pumping　it；　what　more　absolutely　and　grossly

utilitarian？　　Yet　out　of　pumps　grew　the　discussions　about　Nature's

abhorrence　of　a　vacuum；　and　then　it　was　discovered　that　Nature　does

not　abhor　a　vacuum；　but　that　air　has　weight；　and　that　notion　paved

the　way　for　the　doctrine　that　all　matter　has　weight；　and　that　the

force　which　produces　weight　is　co…extensive　with　the　universe；in

short；　to　the　theory　of　universal　gravitation　and　endless　force。

While　learning　how　to　handle　gases　led　to　the　discovery　of　oxygen；

and　to　modern　chemistry；　and　to　the　notion　of　the　indestructibility

of　matter。



Again；　what　simpler；　or　more　absolutely　practical；　than　the　attempt

to　keep　the　axle　of　a　wheel　from　heating　when　the　wheel　turns　round

very　fast？　　How　useful　for　carters　and　gig　drivers　to　know

something　about　this；　and　how　good　were　it；　if　any　ingenious　person

would　find　out　the　cause　of　such　phaenomena；　and　thence　educe　a

general　remedy　for　them。　　Such　an　ingenious　person　was　Count

Rumford；＇47＇　and　he　and　his　successors　have　landed　us　in　the　theory

of　the　persistence；　or　indestructibility；　of　force。　　And　in　the

infinitely　minute；　as　in　the　infinitely　great；　the　seekers　after

natural　knowledge　of　the　kinds　called　physical　and　chemical；　have

everywhere　found　a　definite　order　and　succession　of　events　which

seem　never　to　be　infringed。



And　how　has　it　fared　with　〃Physick〃　and　Anatomy？　　Have　the

anatomist；　the　physiologist；　or　the　physician；　whose　business　it

has　been　to　devote　themselves　assiduously　to　that　eminently

practical　and　direct　end；　the　alleviation　of　the　sufferings　of

mankind；have　they　been　able　to　confine　their　vision　more

absolutely　to　the　strictly　useful？　　I　fear　they　are　the　worst

offenders　of　all。　　For　if　the　astronomer　has　set　before　us　the

infinite　magnitude　of　space；　and　the　practical　eternity　of　the

duration　of　the　universe；　if　the　physical　and　chemical　philosophers

have　demonstrated　the　infinite　minuteness　of　its　constituent　parts；

and　the　practical　eternity　of　matter　and　of　force；　and　if　both　have

alike　proclaimed　the　universality　of　a　definite　and　predicable

order　and　succession　of　events；　the　workers　in　biology　have　not

only　accepted　all　these；　but　have　added　more　startling　theses　of

their　own。　　For；　as　the　astronomers　discover　in　the　earth　no　centre

of　the　universe；　but　an　eccentric　＇48＇　speck；　so　the　naturalists　find

man　to　be　no　centre　of　the　living　world；　but　one　amidst　endless

modifications　of　life；　and　as　the　astronomers　observe　the　mark　of

practically　endless　time　set　upon　the　arrangements　of　the　solar

system　so　the　student　of　life　finds　the　records　of　ancient　forms　of

existence　peopling　the　world　for　ages；　which；　in　relation　to　human

experience；　are　infinite。



Furthermore；　the　physiologist　finds　life　to　be　as　dependent　for　its

manifestation　of　particular　molecular　arrangements　as　any　physical

or　chemical　phenomenon；　and　wherever　he　extends　his　researches；

fixed　order　and　unchanging　causation　reveal　themselves；　as　plainly

as　in　the　rest　of　Nature。



Nor　can　I　find　that　any　other　fate　has　awaited　the　germ　of

Religion。　　Arising；　like　all　other　kinds　of　knowledge；　out　of　the

action　and　interaction　of　man's　mind；　with　that　which　is　not　man's

mind；　it　has　taken　the　intellectual　coverings　of　Fetishism　or

Polytheism；　of　Theism　or　Atheism；　of　Superstition　or　Rationalism。

With　these；　and　their　relative　merits　and　demerits；　I　have　nothing

to　do；　but　this　it　is　needful　for　my　purpose　to　say；　that　if　the

religion　of　the　present　differs　from　that　of　the　past；　it　is

because　the　theology　of　the　present　has　become　more　scientific　than

that　of　the　past；　because　it　has　not　only　renounced　idols　of　wood

and　idols　of　stone；　but　begins　to　see　the　necessity　of　breaking　in

pieces　the　idols　built　up　of　books　and　traditions　and　fine…spun

ecclesiastical　cobwebs：　and　of　cherishing　the　noblest　and　most

human　of　man's　emotions；　by　worship　〃for　the　most　part　of　the

silent　sort〃　at　the　Altar　of　the　Unknown。



Such　are　a　few　of　the　new　conceptions　implanted　in　our　minds　by　the

improvement　of　natural　knowledge。　　Men　have　acquired　the　ideas　of

the　practically　infinite　extent　of　the　universe　and　of　its

practical　eternity；　they　are　familiar　with　the　conception　that　our

earth　is　but　an　infinitesimal　fragment　of　that　part　of　the　universe

which　can　be　seen；　and　that；　nevertheless；　its　duration　is；　as

compared　with　our　standards　of　time；　infinite。　　They　have　further

acquired　the　idea　that　man　is　but　one　of　innumerable　forms　of　life

now　existing　on　the　globe；　and　that　the　present　existences　are　but

the　last　of　an　immeasurable　series　of　predecessors。　　Moreover；

every　step　they　have　made　in　natural　knowledge　has　tended　to　extend

and　rivet　in　their　minds　the　conception　of　a　definite　order　of　the

universewhich　is　embodied　in　what　are　called；　by　an　unhappy

metaphor；　the　laws　of　Natureand　to　narrow　the　range　and　loosen

the　force　of　men's　belief　in　spontaneity；　or　in　changes　other　than

such　as　arise　out　of　that　definite　order　itself。



Whether　these　ideas　are　well　or　ill　founded　is　not　the　question。

No　one　can　deny　that　they　exist；　and　have　been　the　inevitable

outgrowth　of　the　improvement　of　natural　knowledge。　　And　if　so；　it

cannot　be　doubted　that　they　are　changing　the　form　of　men's　most

cherished　and　most　important　convictions。





And　as　regards　the　second　pointthe　extent　to　which　the

improvement　of　natural　knowledge　has　remodelled　and　altered　what

may　be　termed　the　intellectual　ethics　of　men；what　are　among　the

moral　convictions　most　fondly　held　by　barbarous　and　semi…barbarous

people？



They　are　the　convictions　that　authority　is　the　soundest　basis　of

belief；　that　merit　attaches　to　a　readiness　to　believe；　that　the

doubting　disposition　is　a　bad　one；　and　scepticism　a　sin；　that　when

good　authority　has　pronounced　what　is　to　be　believed；　and　faith　has

accepted　it；　reason　has　no　further　duty。　　There　are　many　excellent

persons　who　yet　hold　by　these　principles；　and　it　is　not　my　present

business；　or　intention；　to　discuss　their　views。　　All　I　wish　to

bring　clearly　before　your　minds　is　the　unquestionable　fact；　that

the　improvement　of　natural　knowledge　is　effected　by　methods　which

directly　give　the　lie　to　all　these　convictions；　and　assume　the

exact　reverse　of　each　to　be　true。



The　improver　of　natural　knowledge　absolutely　refuses　to　acknowledge

authority；　as　such。　　For　him；　scepticism　is　the　highest　of　duties；

blind　faith　the　one　unpardonable　sin。　　And　it　cannot　be　otherwise；

for　every　great　advance　in　natural　knowledge　has　involved　the

absolute　rejection　of　authority；　the　cherishing　of　the　keenest

scepticism；　the　annihilation