THE FURTHER GROWTH OF SCIENCE 111 



gradually permeated the thought of orthodoxy. In England, 

 for example, there existed during the eighteenth century a 

 surprising amount of rationalism, as an outcome of the tacit 

 acceptance of deistic teachings. 9 Despite a pathetic lack of 

 knowledge concerning many details of scientific fact, eight- 

 eenth century thinkers perceived the implications of science 

 to an extent for which mankind is even now scarce prepared. 

 As a result, rationalistic systems of thinking established their 

 right to existence. 



But if science has been important in the foundation of 

 modern philosophy, the role of the philosopher and of the 

 man of letters has been no less significant in the extension of 

 science. The scientist is often unmindful of the broader 

 significance and of the popular acceptance of scientific doc- 

 trines. The philosopher, on the other hand, is interested in 

 the implications of science and frequently extends these 

 implications to fields where science is not established, but 

 where popular interest may be acute. Science advances 

 through the general acceptance of its teaching as much as 

 by additions to knowledge. The thinker, who pursues its 

 implications and who induces others to follow his lead, is no 

 less important in scientific progress than he who contributes 

 to the establishment of technical generalizations. 



The importance of Francis Bacon (1561-1626) is due 

 mainly to his understanding of the implications of science. 

 Although dethroned from the place he long occupied as 

 father of the science of physics and of inductive philosophy, 

 Bacon deserves a prominent position, because he appre- 

 hended, at an early period, the steps by which man might 

 cease to be the plaything of blind forces and become the 

 controller of his environment. In his attempt to "extend 

 more widely the power and greatness of man," Bacon gave 

 publicity to the concept of man's relation to nature which 

 has since become the creed of science. He did not originate 



9 Stephen, Leslie, "History of English Thought in the Eighteenth 

 Century." 



