autobiography and selected essays-第22章

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satisfactory；　proof；　that　an　enormous　area　now　covered　by　the

Pacific　has　been　deepened　thousands　of　feet；　since　the　present

inhabitants　of　that　sea　came　into　existence。



Thus　there　is　not　a　shadow　of　a　reason　for　believing　that　the

physical　changes　of　the　globe；　in　past　times　have　been　effected　by

other　than　natural　causes。



Is　there　any　more　reason　for　believing　that　the　concomitant

modifications　in　the　forms　of　the　living　inhabitants　of　the　globe

have　been　brought　about　in　other　ways？



Before　attempting　to　answer　this　question；　let　us　try　to　form　a

distinct　mental　picture　of　what　has　happened；　in　some　special　case。



The　crocodiles　are　animals　which；　as　a　group；　have　a　very　vast

antiquity。　　They　abounded　ages　before　the　chalk　was　deposited；　they

throng　the　rivers　in　warm　climates；　at　the　present　day。　　There　is　a

difference　in　the　form　of　the　joints　of　the　back…bone；　and　in　some

minor　particulars；　between　the　crocodiles　of　the　present　epoch　and

those　which　lived　before　the　chalk；　but　in　the　cretaceous　epoch；　as

I　have　already　mentioned；　the　crocodiles　had　assumed　the　modern

type　of　structure。　　Notwithstanding　this；　the　crocodiles　of　the

chalk　are　not　identically　the　same　as　those　which　lived　in　the

times　called　〃older　tertiary；〃　which　succeeded　the　cretaceous

epoch；　and　the　crocodiles　of　the　older　tertiaries　are　not　identical

with　those　of　the　newer　tertiaries；　nor　are　these　identical　with

existing　forms。　　I　leave　open　the　question　whether　particular

species　may　have　lived　on　from　epoch　to　epoch。　　But　each　epoch　has

had　its　peculiar　crocodiles；　though　all；　since　the　chalk；　have

belonged　to　the　modern　type；　and　differ　simply　in　their

proportions；　and　in　such　structural　particulars　as　are　discernible

only　to　trained　eyes。



How　is　the　existence　of　this　long　succession　of　different　species

of　crocodiles　to　be　accounted　for？



Only　two　suppositions　seem　to　be　open　to　usEither　each　species　of

crocodile　has　been　specially　created；　or　it　has　arisen　out　of　some

pre…existing　form　by　the　operation　of　natural　causes。



Choose　your　hypothesis；　I　have　chosen　mine。　　I　can　find　no　warranty

for　believing　in　the　distinct　creation　of　a　score　of　successive

species　of　crocodiles　in　the　course　of　countless　ages　of　time。

Science　gives　no　countenance　to　such　a　wild　fancy；　nor　can　even　the

perverse　ingenuity　of　a　commentator　pretend　to　discover　this　sense；

in　the　simple　words　in　which　the　writer　of　Genesis　records　the

proceedings　of　the　fifth　and　sixth　days　of　the　Creation。



On　the　other　hand；　I　see　no　good　reason　for　doubting　the　necessary

alternative；　that　all　these　varied　species　have　been　evolved　from

pre…existing　crocodilian　forms；　by　the　operation　of　causes　as

completely　a　part　of　the　common　order　of　nature；　as　those　which

have　effected　the　changes　of　the　inorganic　world。



Few　will　venture　to　affirm　that　the　reasoning　which　applies　to

crocodiles　loses　its　force　among　other　animals；　or　among　plants。

If　one　series　of　species　has　come　into　existence　by　the　operation

of　natural　causes；　it　seems　folly　to　deny　that　all　may　have　arisen

in　the　same　way。





A　small　beginning　has　led　us　to　a　great　ending。　　If　I　were　to　put

the　bit　of　chalk　with　which　we　started　into　the　hot　but　obscure

flame　of　burning　hydrogen；　it　would　presently　shine　like　the　sun。

It　seems　to　me　that　this　physical　metamorphosis　is　no　false　image

of　what　has　been　the　result　of　our　subjecting　it　to　a　jet　of

fervent；　though　nowise　brilliant；　thought　to…night。　　It　has　become

luminous；　and　its　clear　rays；　penetrating　the　abyss　of　the　remote

past；　have　brought　within　our　ken　some　stages　of　the　evolution　of

the　earth。　　And　in　the　shifting　〃without　haste；　but　without　rest〃＇75＇

of　the　land　and　sea；　as　in　the　endless　variation　of　the　forms

assumed　by　living　beings；　we　have　observed　nothing　but　the　natural

product　of　the　forces　originally　possessed　by　the　substance　of　the

universe。







THE　PRINCIPAL　SUBJECTS　OF　EDUCATION　　　　　＇76＇





I　know　quite　well　that　launching　myself　into　this　discussion　＇77＇　is

a　very　dangerous　operation；　that　it　is　a　very　large　subject；　and　one

which　is　difficult　to　deal　with；　however　much　I　may　trespass　upon

your　patience　in　the　time　allotted　to　me。　　But　the　discussion　is　so

fundamental；　it　is　so　completely　impossible　to　make　up　one's　mind

on　these　matters　until　one　has　settled　the　question；　that　I　will

even　venture　to　make　the　experiment。　　A　great　lawyer…statesman　and

philosopher　of　a　former　ageI　mean　Francis　Bacon　＇78＇said　that　truth

came　out　of　error　much　more　rapidly　than　it　came　out　of　confusion。

There　is　a　wonderful　truth　in　that　saying。　　Next　to　being　right　in

this　world；　the　best　of　all　things　is　to　be　clearly　and　definitely

wrong；　because　you　will　come　out　somewhere。　　If　you　go　buzzing

about　between　right　and　wrong；　vibrating　and　fluctuating；　you　come

out　nowhere；　but　if　you　are　absolutely　and　thoroughly　and

persistently　wrong；　you　must；　some　of　these　days；　have　the　extreme

good　fortune　of　knocking　your　head　against　a　fact；　and　that　sets

you　all　straight　again。　　So　I　will　not　trouble　myself　as　to　whether

I　may　be　right　or　wrong　in　what　I　am　about　to　say；　but　at　any　rate

I　hope　to　be　clear　and　definite；　and　then　you　will　be　able　to　judge

for　yourselves　whether；　in　following　out　the　train　of　thought　I

have　to　introduce；　you　knock　your　heads　against　facts　or　not。



I　take　it　that　the　whole　object　of　education　is；　in　the　first

place；　to　train　the　faculties　of　the　young　in　such　a　manner　as　to

give　their　possessors　the　best　chance　of　being　happy　＇79＇　and　useful

in　their　generation；　and；　in　the　second　place；　to　furnish　them　with

the　most　important　portions　of　that　immense　capitalised　experience

of　the　human　race　which　we　call　knowledge　of　various　kinds。　　I　am

using　the　term　knowledge　in　its　widest　possible　sense；　and　the

question　is；　what　subjects　to　select　by　training　and　discipline；　in

which　the　object　I　have　just　defined　may　be　best　attained。



I　must　call　your　attention　further　to　this　fact；　that　all　the

subjects　of　our　thoughtsall　feelings　and　propositions　（leaving

aside　our　sensations　as　the　mere　materials　and　occasions　of

thinking　and　feeling）；　all　our　mental　furnituremay　be　classified

under　one　of　two　headsas　either　within　the　province　of　the

intellect；　something　that　can　be　put　into　propositions　and　affirmed

or　denied；　or　as　within　the　province　of　feeling；　or　that　which；

before　the　name　was　defiled；　was　called　the　aesthetic　side　of　our

nature；　and　which　can　neither　be　proved　nor　disproved；　but　only

felt　and　known。



According　to　the　classification　which　I　have　put　before　you；　then；

the　subjects　of　all　knowledge　are　divisible　into　the　two　groups；

matters　of　science　and　matters　of　art；　for　all　things　with　which

the　reasoning　faculty　alone　is　occupied；　come　under　the　province　of

science；　and　in　the　broadest　sense；　and　not　in　the　narrow　and

technical　sense　in　which　we　are　now　accustomed　to　use　the　word　art；

all　things　feelable；　all　things　which　stir　our　emotions；　come　under

the　term　of　art；　in　the　sense　of　the　subject…matter　of　the

aesthetic　faculty。　　So　that　we　are　shut　up　to　thisthat　the

business　of　education　is；　in　the　first　place；　to　provide　the　young

with　the　means　and　the　habit　of　observation；　and；　secondly；　to

supply　the　subject…matter　of　knowledge　either　in　the　shape　of

science　or　of　art；　or　of　both　combined。



Now；　it　is　a　very　remarkable　factbut　it　is　true　of　most　things　in

this　worldthat　there　is　hardly　anything　one…sided；　or　of　one

nature；　and　it　is　not　immediately　obvious　what　of　the　things　that

interest　us　may　be　regarded　as　pure　science；　and　what　may　be

regarded　as　pure　art。　　It　may　be　that　there　are　some　peculiarly

constituted　persons　who；　before　they　have　advanced　far　into　the

depths　of　geometry；　find　artistic　beauty　about　it；　but；　taking　the

generality　of　mankind；　I　think　it　may　be　said　that；　when　they　begin

to　learn　mathematics；　t