beacon lights of history-iii-2-第67章

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beyond　Augustine。　　Augustine　was　the　fountain；　and　the　water　that

flowed　from　it　in　ten　thousand　channels　could　not　rise　above　the

spring；　and　as　everybody　appealed　to　and　believed　in　Saint

Augustine；　it　was　well　to　construct　a　system　from　him　to　confute

the　heretical；　and　which　the　heretical　would　respect。　　The

scholastic　philosophy　which　some　ridicule；　in　spite　of　its

puerilities　and　sophistries　and　syllogisms；　preserved　the　theology

of　the　Middle　Ages；　perhaps　of　the　Fathers。　　It　was　a　mighty

bulwark　of　the　faith　which　was　then　accepted。　　No　honors　could　be

conferred　on　its　great　architects　that　were　deemed　extravagant。

The　Pope　and　the　clergy　saw　in　Thomas　Aquinas　the　great　defender　of

the　Church；not　of　its　abuses；　but　of　its　doctrines。　　And　if　no

new　light　can　be　shed　on　the　Scripture　text　from　which　assumptions

were　made；　if　these　assumptions　cannot　be　assailed；　if　they　are

certitudes；then　we　can　scarcely　have　better　text…books　than　those

furnished　to　the　theologians　of　the　Middle　Ages；　for　no　modern

dialetician　can　excel　them　in　severity　of　logic。　　The　great　object

of　modern　theologians　should　be　to　establish　the　authenticity　and

meaning　of　the　Scripture　texts　on　which　their　assumptions　rest；　and

this　can　be　done　only　by　the　method　which　Bacon　laid　down；　which　is

virtually　a　collation　and　collection　of　facts；that　is；　divine

declarations。　　Establish　the　meaning　of　these　without　question；　and

we　have　principia　from　which　we　may　deduce　creeds　and　systems；　the

usefulness　of　which　cannot　be　exaggerated；　especially　in　an　age　of

agnosticism。　　Having　fundamental　principles　which　cannot　be

gainsaid；　we　may　philosophically　draw　deductions。　　Bacon　did　not

make　war　on　deduction；　when　its　fundamental　truths　are　established。

Deduction　is　as　much　a　necessary　part　of　philosophy　as　induction：

it　is　the　peculiarity　of　the　Scotch　metaphysicians；　who　have　ever

deduced　truths　from　those　previously　established。　　Deduction　even

enters　into　modern　science　as　well　as　induction。　　When　Cuvier

deduced　from　a　bone　the　form　and　habits　of　the　mastodon；　when

Kepler　deduced　his　great　laws；　all　from　the　primary　thought　that

there　must　be　some　numerical　or　geographical　relation　between　the

times；　distances；　and　velocities　of　the　revolving　bodies　of　the

solar　system；　when　Newton　deduced；　as　is　said；　the　principle　of

gravitation　from　the　fall　of　an　apple；　when　Leverrier　sought　for　a

new　planet　from　the　perturbations　of　the　heavenly　bodies　in　their

orbits；we　feel　that　deduction　is　as　much　a　legitimate　process　as

induction　itself。



But　deductive　logic　is　the　creation　of　Aristotle；　and　it　was　the

authority　of　Aristotle　that　Bacon　sought　to　subvert。　　The　inductive

process　is　also　old；　of　which　Bacon　is　called　the　father。　　How　are

these　things　to　be　reconciled　and　explained？　　Wherein　and　how　did

Bacon　adapt　his　method　to　the　discovery　of　truth；　which　was　his

principal　aim；that　method　which　is　the　great　cause　of　modern

progress　in　science；　the　way　to　it　being　indicated　by　him　pre…

eminently？



The　whole　thing　consists　in　this；　that　Bacon　pointed　out　the　right

road　to　truth；as　a　board　where　two　roads　meet　or　diverge

indicates　the　one　which　is　to　be　followed。　　He　did　not　make　a

system；　like　Descartes　or　Spinoza　or　Newton：　he　showed　the　way　to

make　it　on　sound　principles。　　〃He　laid　down　a　systematic　analysis

and　arrangement　of　inductive　evidence。〃　　The　syllogism；　the　great

instrument　used　by　Aristotle　and　the　Schoolmen；　〃is；　from　its　very

nature；　incompetent　to　prove　the　ultimate　premises　from　which　it

proceeds；　and　when　the　truth　of　these　remains　doubtful；　we　can

place　no　confidence　in　the　conclusions　drawn　from　them。〃　　Hence；

the　first　step　in　the　reform　of　science　is　to　review　its　ultimate

principles；　and　the　first　condition　of　a　scientific　method　is　that

it　shall　be　competent　to　conduct　such　an　inquiry；　and　this　method

is　applicable；　not　to　physical　science　merely；　but　to　the　whole

realm　of　knowledge。　　This；　of　course；　includes　poetry；　art；

intellectual　philosophy；　and　theology；　as　well　as　geology　and

chemistry。



And　it　is　this　breadth　of　inquirydirected　to　subjective　as　well

as　objective　knowledgewhich　made　Bacon　so　great　a　benefactor。

The　defect　in　Macaulay's　criticism　is　that　he　makes　Bacon

interested　in　mere　outward　phenomena；　or　matters　of　practical

utility；a　worldly　utilitarian　of　whom　Epicureans　may　be　proud。

In　reality　he　soared　to　the　realm　of　Plato　as　well　as　of　Aristotle。

Take；　for　instance；　his　Idola　Mentis　Humanae；　or　〃Phantoms　of　the

Human　Mind；〃　which　compose　the　best…known　part　of　the　〃Novum

Organum。〃　　〃The　Idols　of　the　Tribe〃　would　show　the　folly　of

attempting　to　penetrate　further　than　the　limits　of　the　human

faculties　permit；　as　also　〃the　liability　of　the　intellect　to　be

warped　by　the　will　and　affections；　and　the　like。〃　　The　〃Idols　of

the　Den〃　have　reference　to　〃the　tendency　to　notice　differences

rather　than　resemblances；　or　resemblances　rather　than　differences；

in　the　attachment　to　antiquity　or　novelty；　in　the　partiality　to

minute　or　comprehensive　investigations。〃　　〃The　Idols　of　the　Market…

Place〃　have　reference　to　the　tendency　to　confound　words　with

things；　which　has　ever　marked　controversialists　in　their　learned

disputatious。　　In　what　he　here　says　about　the　necessity　for

accurate　definitions；　he　reminds　us　of　Socrates　rather　than　a

modern　scientist；　this　necessity　for　accuracy　applies　to

metaphysics　as　much　as　it　does　to　physics。　　〃The　Idols　of　the

Theatre〃　have　reference　to　perverse　laws　of　demonstration　which　are

the　strongholds　of　error。　　This　school　deals　in　speculations　and

experiments　confined　to　a　narrow　compass；　like　those　of　the

alchemists；too　imperfect　to　elicit　the　light　which　should　guide。



Bacon　having　completed　his　discussion　of　the　Idola；　then　proceeds；

to　point　out　the　weakness　of　the　old　philosophies；　which　produced

leaves　rather　than　fruit；　and　were　stationary　in　their　character。

Here　he　would　seem　to　lean　towards　utilitarianism；　were　it　not　that

he　is　as　severe　on　men　of　experiment　as　on　men　of　dogma。　　〃The　men

of　experiment　are；〃　says　he；　〃like　ants；they　only　collect　and

use；　the　reasoners　resemble　spiders；　who　make　cobwebs　out　of　their

own　substance。　　But　the　bee　takes　a　middle　course；　it　gathers　the

material　from　the　flowers；　but　digests　it　by　a　power　of　its　own。　。　。　。

So　true　philosophy　neither　chiefly　relies　on　the　powers　of　the

mind；　nor　takes　the　matter　which　it　gathers　and　lays　it　up　in　the

memory；　whole　as　it　finds　it；　but　lays　it　up　in　the　understanding；

to　be　transformed　and　digested。〃　　Here　he　simply　points　out　the

laws　by　which　true　knowledge　is　to　be　attained。　　He　does　not　extol

physical　science　alone；　though　doubtless　he　had　a　preference　for　it

over　metaphysical　inquiries。　　He　was　an　Englishman；　and　the　English

mind　is　objective　rather　than　subjective；　and　is　prone　to　over…

value　the　outward　and　the　seen；　above　the　inward　and　unseen；　and

perhaps　for　the　same　reason　that　the　Old　Testament　seems　to　make

prosperity　the　greatest　blessing；　while　adversity　seems　to　he　the

blessing　of　the　New　Testament。



One　of　Bacon's　longest　works　is　the　〃Silva　Sylvarum；〃a　sort　of

natural　history；　in　which　he　treats　of　the　various　forces　and

productions　of　Nature；the　air　the　sea；　the　winds；　the　clouds；

plants　and　animals；　fire　and　water；　sounds　and　discords；　colors　and

smells；　heat　and　cold；　disease　and　health；　but　which　varied

subjects　he　presents　to　communicate　knowledge；　with　no　especial

utilitarian　end。



〃The　Advancement　of　Learning〃　is　one　of　Bacon's　most　famous

productions；　but　I　fail　to　see　in　it　an　objective　purpose　to　enable

men　to　become　powerful　or　rich　or　comfortable；　it　is　rather　an

abstract　treatise；　as　dry　to　most　people　as　legal　disquisitions；

and　with　no　more　reference　to　rising　in　the　world　than

〃Blackstone's　Commentaries〃　or　〃Coke　upon　Littleton。〃　　It　is　a

profound　dissertation　on　the　excellence　of　learning；　its　great

divisions