darwin and modern science-第167章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　than　glance　across　the　threshold　of　this　subject。　　But　it　is　necessary　to　say　that　the　method　is　in　an　elementary　stage　of　revival。　　The　imposing　success　that　belongs　to　natural　science　is　absent：　　we　fall　short　of　the　unchallengeable　unanimity　of　the　Biologists　on　fundamentals。　　The　experimental　method　with　its　sure　repetitions　cannot　be　applied　to　our　subject…matter。　　But　we　have　something　like　the　observational　method　of　palaeontology　and　geographical　distribution；　and　in　biology　there　are　still　men　who　think　that　the　large　examination　of　varieties　by　way　of　geography　and　the　search　of　strata　is　as　truly　scientific；　uses　as　genuinely　the　logical　method　of　difference；　and　is　as　fruitful　in　sure　conclusions　as　the　quasi…chemical　analysis　of　Mendelian　laboratory　work；　of　which　last　I　desire　to　express　my　humble　admiration。　　Religion　also　has　its　observational　work　in　the　larger　and　possibly　more　arduous　manner。

But　the　scientific　work　in　religion　makes　its　way　through　difficulties　and　dangers。　　We　are　far　from　having　found　the　formula　of　its　combination　with　the　historical　elements　of　our　apologetic。　　It　is　exposed；　therefore；　to　a　damaging　fire　not　only　from　unspiritualist　psychology　and　pathology　but　also　from　the　side　of　scholastic　dogma。　　It　is　hard　to　admit　on　equal　terms　a　partner　to　the　old　undivided　rule　of　books　and　learning。　　With　Charles　Lamb；　we　cry　in　some　distress；　〃must　knowledge　come　to　me；　if　it　come　at　all；　by　some　awkward　experiment　of　intuition；　and　no　longer　by　this　familiar　process　of　reading？〃　　（〃Essays　of　Elia〃；　〃New　Year's　Eve〃；　page　41；　Ainger's　edition。　　London；　1899。）　and　we　are　answered　that　the　old　process　has　an　imperishable　value；　only　we　have　not　yet　made　clear　its　connection　with　other　contributions。　　And　all　the　work　is　young；　liable　to　be　drawn　into　unprofitable　excursions；　side…tracked　by　self…deceit　and　pretence；　and　it　fatally　attracts；　like　the　older　mysticism；　the　curiosity　and　the　expository　powers　of　those　least　in　sympathy　with　it；　ready　writers　who；　with　all　the　air　of　extended　research；　have　been　content　with　narrow　grounds　for　induction。　　There　is　a　danger；　besides；　which　accompanies　even　the　most　genuine　work　of　this　science　and　must　be　provided　against　by　all　its　serious　students。　　I　mean　the　danger　of　unbalanced　introspection　both　for　individuals　and　for　societies；　of　a　preoccupation　comparable　to　our　modern　social　preoccupation　with　bodily　health；　of　reflection　upon　mental　states　not　accompanied　by　exercise　and　growth　of　the　mental　powers；　the　danger　of　contemplating　will　and　neglecting　work；　of　analysing　conviction　and　not　criticising　evidence。

Still；　in　spite　of　dangers　and　mistakes；　the　work　remains　full　of　hopeful　indications；　and；　in　the　best　examples　（Such　an　example　is　given　in　Baron　F。　von　Hugel's　recently　finished　book；　the　result　of　thirty　years'　research：　　〃The　Mystical　Element　of　Religion；　as　studied　in　Saint　Catherine　of　Genoa　and　her　Friends〃。　　London；　1908。）；　it　is　truly　scientific　in　its　determination　to　know　the　very　truth；　to　tell　what　we　think；　not　what　we　think　we　ought　to　think。　　（G。　Tyrrell；　in　〃Mediaevalism〃；　has　a　chapter　which　is　full　of　the　important　MORAL　element　in　a　scientific　attitude。　　〃The　only　infallible　guardian　of　truth　is　the　spirit　of　truthfulness。〃　　〃Mediaevalism〃　page　182；　London；　1908。）；　truly　scientific　in　its　employment　of　hypothesis　and　verification；　and　in　growing　conviction　of　the　reality　of　its　subject…matter　through　the　repeated　victories　of　a　mastery　which　advances；　like　science；　in　the　Baconian　road　of　obedience。　　It　is　reasonable　to　hope　that　progress　in　this　respect　will　be　more　rapid　and　sure　when　religious　study　enlists　more　men　affected　by　scientific　desire　and　endowed　with　scientific　capacity。

The　class　of　investigating　minds　is　a　small　one；　possibly　even　smaller　than　that　of　reflecting　minds。　　Very　few　persons　at　any　period　are　able　to　find　out　anything　whatever。　　There　are　few　observers；　few　discoverers；　few　who　even　wish　to　discover　truth。　　In　how　many　societies　the　problems　of　philology　which　face　every　person　who　speaks　English　are　left　unattempted！　And　if　the　inquiring　or　the　successfully　inquiring　class　of　minds　is　small；　much　smaller；　of　course；　is　the　class　of　those　possessing　the　scientific　aptitude　in　an　eminent　degree。　　During　the　last　age　this　most　distinguished　class　was　to　a　very　great　extent　absorbed　in　the　study　of　phenomena；　a　study　which　had　fallen　into　arrears。　　For　we　stood　possessed；　in　rudiment；　of　means　of　observation；　means　for　travelling　and　acquisition；　qualifying　men　for　a　larger　knowledge　than　had　yet　been　attempted。　　These　were　now　to　be　directed　with　new　accuracy　and　ardour　upon　the　fabric　and　behaviour　of　the　world　of　sense。　　Our　debt　to　the　great　masters　in　physical　science　who　overtook　and　almost　out…stripped　the　task　cannot　be　measured；　and；　under　the　honourable　leadership　of　Ruskin；　we　may　all　well　do　penance　if　we　have　failed　〃in　the　respect　due　to　their　great　powers　of　thought；　or　in　the　admiration　due　to　the　far　scope　of　their　discovery。〃　　（〃Queen　of　the　Air〃；　Preface；　page　vii。　　London；　1906。）　　With　what　miraculous　mental　energy　and　divine　good　fortuneas　Romans　said　of　their　soldiersdid　our　men　of　curiosity　face　the　apparently　impenetrable　mysteries　of　nature！　　And　how　natural　it　was　that　immense　accessions　of　knowledge；　unrelated　to　the　spiritual　facts　of　life；　should　discredit　Christian　faith；　by　the　apparent　superiority　of　the　new　work　to　the　feeble　and　unprogressive　knowledge　of　Christian　believers！　　The　day　is　coming　when　men　of　this　mental　character　and　rank；　of　this　curiosity；　this　energy　and　this　good　fortune　in　investigation；　will　be　employed　in　opening　mysteries　of　a　spiritual　nature。　　They　will　silence　with　masterful　witness　the　over…confident　denials　of　naturalism。　　They　will　be　in　danger　of　the　widespread　recognition　which　thirty　years　ago　accompanied　every　utterance　of　Huxley；　Tyndall；　Spencer。　　They　will　contribute；　in　spite　of　adulation；　to　the　advance　of　sober　religious　and　moral　science。

And　this　result　will　be　due　to　Darwin；　first　because　by　raising　the　dignity　of　natural　science；　he　encouraged　the　development　of　the　scientific　mind；　secondly　because　he　gave　to　religious　students　the　example　of　patient　and　ardent　investigation；　and　thirdly　because　by　the　pressure　of　naturalistic　criticism　the　religious　have　been　driven　to　ascertain　the　causes　of　their　own　convictions；　a　work　in　which　they　were　not　without　the　sympathy　of　men　of　science。　　（The　scientific　rank　of　its　writer　justifies　the　insertion　of　the　following　letter　from　the　late　Sir　John　Burdon…Sanderson　to　me。　　In　the　lecture　referred　to　I　had　described　the　methods　of　Professor　Moseley　in　teaching　Biology　as　affording　a　suggestion　of　the　scientific　treatment　of　religion。

Oxford；　April　30；　1902。

Dear　Sir；

I　feel　that　I　must　express　to　you　my　thanks　for　the　discourse　which　I　had　the　pleasure　of　listening　to　yesterday　afternoon。

I　do　not　mean　to　say　that　I　was　able　to　follow　all　that　you　said　as　to　the　identity　of　Method　in　the　two　fields　of　Science　and　Religion；　but　I　recognise　that　the　〃mysticism〃　of　which　you　spoke　gives　us　the　only　way　by　which　the　two　fields　can　be　brought　into　relation。

Among　much　that　was　memorable；　nothing　interested　me　more　than　what　you　said　of　Moseley。

No　one；　I　am　sure；　knew　better　than　you　the　value　of　his　teaching　and　in　what　that　value　consisted。

Yours　faithfully

J。　Burdon…Sanderson。　31…2。）

In　leaving　the　subject　of　scientific　religious　inquiry；　I　will　only　add　that　I　do　not　believe　it　receives　any　important　helpand　certainly　it　suffers　incidentally　much　damaging　interruptionfrom　the　study　of　abnormal　manifestations　or　abnormal　conditions　of　personality。

（3）　　Both　of　the　above　effects　seem　to　me　of　high；　perhaps　the　very　highest；　importance　to　faith　and　to　thought。　　But；　under　the　third　head；　I　name　two　which　are　more　directly　traceable　to　the　personal　work　of　Darwin；　and　more　definitely　characteristic　of　the　age　in　which　his　influence　was　paramount：　　viz。　the　influence　of　the　two　conceptions　of　evolution　and　natural　selection　upon　the　doctrine　of　creation　and　of　design　respectively。

It　is　impossible　here；　though　it　is　necessary　for　a　complete