BIOLOGY IN HUMAN AFFAIRS 



short while ago. Anti-evolution resolutions are still pre- 

 sented to the Solons of the various states, and Billy Sunday 

 is still greeted with applause; but science is in distinctly 

 better odor than of old. Even the newspapers, as always 

 the rear guard of public opinion, speak of the current era 

 as the Age of Science. The present generation has almost 

 forgotten the battles by which the cohorts of mysticism 

 formerly tried to prevent the acceptance of every discovery 

 in biology, geography, astronomy, geology, philology, 

 anthropology, and medicine, which appeared to run con- 

 trary to dogmas of primitive faith. I invite its members to 

 read the history of the campaign in the two ample volumes 

 compiled by Andrew D. White. ^ The struggle is described 

 there in all its gory detail. 



I am not convinced, however, that science has sustained 

 these attacks because truth has an inherent survival value. 

 Science was retained on sufferance for the same reason that a 

 fine old peach tree is retained — people enjoyed its fruits. 

 The scientist need have no fear, therefore, that his freedom 

 of action will again be curtailed as it was in earlier days: 

 the products of his labors are too eagerly welcomed. Nor 

 am I convinced that the spirit of science, the scientific 

 attitude of mind, is any more acceptable to the defenders 

 of dogma than it ever was. Yet open warfare against science 

 has been abandoned by all except the most ignorant minor- 

 ity of the clerical party; the leaders have found it advan- 

 tageous to take a more dignified position and to leave 

 acrimonious debate to others. 



The current fashion is to put the case against science 

 into the hands of the philosophers, who habitually issue 

 verdicts with as much solemn formality as if they were pre- 

 siding at the Last Judgment. Statements constantly appear 

 to the effect that Bergson or Boutroux or Whitehead or 



^ White, Andrew D., "A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology 

 in Christendom," Appleton, New York, 1896. 



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