METHODS OF SCIENCE; NUMBERS 9 



out of discord a more perfect harmony will 

 evolve. This I take to be the universal credo of 

 science. 



Perhaps, indeed, the scientist in his attitude 

 toward paradox is a little more reverent than 

 those who are constantly grumbling because 

 some flaw has been found in a preestablished 

 harmony. After all, is it necessary to decide as 

 to the existence of all these ultimates and abso- 

 lutes, and especially as to the existence of an 

 absolute truth .^^ If we once get out of the child- 

 like notion that every act is either right or 

 wrong, that every statement is either true or 

 false, that every question may be answered with 

 a 'yes' or a 'no,' we still recognize that with our 

 present knowledge there are some statements 

 which are more probable than others. 



If we arrange various statements according 

 to our estimate of their probability, we get the 

 idea of a continuum, ranging from no probabil- 

 ity to complete certainty. But whether or not 

 any of these statements are situated exactly 

 upon one or the other of the terminals of this 

 continuous range may not be of great conse- 

 quence. At any rate, the scientist must practice 

 economy of thought, not only in his mode of 

 thinking but also in deciding what to think 



