THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 



279 



THE PEOGEESS OF SCIENCE. 



LOIW KELVIN ON ' CREATIVE 



PURPOSE.' 

 There has been in progress in the 

 columns of the London Times a corre- 

 spondence on certain serious topics 

 that has aspects both amusing and 

 pathetic. Lord Kelvin, in moving a 

 vote of thanks at the close of a lecture 

 before the Christian Association of 

 University College, London, said that 

 '■' science positively confirmed creative 

 power. . . . Modern biologists were 

 coming to a firm acceptance of some- 

 thing, and that was a vital principle. 

 . . . They were absolutely forced by 

 science to admit and to believe with 

 absolute confidence in a directive 

 power." Lord Kelvin subsequently ex- 

 plained that a fortuitous concourse of 

 atoms would account for the forma- 

 tion of a crystal, but that creative 

 power is necessary for the growth of 

 a sprig of moss. Sir William Thistle- 

 ton-Dyer, director of the KeAV Botan- 

 ical Gardens, calls Lord Kelvin 

 sharply to account, saying that 'for 

 dogmatic utterance on biological ques- 

 tions there is no reason to suppose 

 that he is better equipped than any 

 person of average intelligence.' Sir 

 William is, however, ready to enter 

 the field of physics, and tells Lord 

 Kelvin that his ether is ' a mere mathe- 

 matical figment.' Sir John Burdon- 

 Sanderson intervenes to express regret 

 that "A most distinguished British 

 botanist has thought it necessary to 

 ' cross swords ' with the most distin- 

 guished of British physicists with ref- 

 erence to a question on which it is 

 desirable that all men of science should 

 be in accord," and to disclaim on the 

 part of his own science, physiology, 

 the opinion that Lord Kelvin is not 

 competent, when von Helmholtz has 



j spoken of his ' surprising acuteness, 

 clearness and versatility.' But Sir 

 John immediately proceeds to state 

 that physiologists do not believe in a 

 vital principle, that the processes of 

 animal and plant life are governed by 

 the natural laws which have been estab- 

 lished for the inorganic world. Mental 

 processes and organic evolution can 

 not, however, be directly measured or 

 observed. In spite of the desirability 

 of accord and of Lord Kelvin's gi-eat 

 competence, he is mistaken as regards 

 Sir John's science, though psychology 

 and organic evolution may very well 

 be outside the range of exact science. 

 Sir Oliver Lodge, the eminent physi- 

 cist, does not like the phrase ' creative 

 power,' but believes that the formation 

 of an animal or plant requires in addi- 

 tion to the laws of mechanics ' the 

 presence of a guiding principle or life- 

 germ.' He also regards ' telepathy ' as 

 a recently discovered fact. Professor 

 Ray Lankaster, director of the British 

 Museum of Natural History, thinks 

 that an injustice would be done both 

 to Lord Kelvin and to his critics un- 

 less he points out the significant fea- 

 tures of the matter. Professor Karl 

 Pearson, Mr. W. H. Mallock and others 

 have joined in the discussion, and it is 

 the theme of editorial articles in the 

 Times and The Spectator, both of which 

 are orthodox and dogmatic. 



It is a fact of some interest that 

 British physicists have been inclined 

 to religious oi'thodoxy — Faraday, 

 Maxwell, Stokes and Kelvin may be 

 mentioned. Sir Oliver Lodge believes 

 in telepathy and Sir William Crookes 

 in ghosts. The physical sciences have 

 outlived their conflict with current 

 theologj^, whereas in the past half 

 century biology has had to bear the 



