58 NATIONAL TRENDS IN BIOLOGY 



metry, for logical completeness, for finality ; characteris- 

 tic of the other is the feeling for substance, development, 

 function, change. For the one, truth lies in the result ; for 

 the other, in the process. One is represented by the de- 

 ductive, the other by the inductive type of mind." 



The one type of mind holds that there is a possibility 

 of finding an exact correspondence between the thing 

 itself and our idea of that thing, which means absolute 

 truth insofar as that one idea is concerned at least. The 

 other holds that there is no such thing as absolute truth 

 or falsehood of any theory or observation but, that as 

 scientists, it is our duty to weigh carefully all the chances 

 for truth and error, place each in its proper position, and 

 thus improve the way. Professor Beach, speaking for this 

 group, puts it like this : 



"It is important to recognize the fact that scientific 

 laws are not proved by perfect corroboration of measure- 

 ments. The proof of any law is of negative character. Not 

 even the law of gravitation, nor the law of the conserva- 

 tion of energy is proved by positive demonstration. The 

 probable truth of any proposition is assumed from the 

 inability to disprove it. Whence it follows that there is 

 nothing more fundamental to the correct understanding 

 of the science of physics, or indeed of science in general, 

 than the interpretation of measurements according to 

 the theory of probabilities and a rational discussion of 

 the inherent errors."^ 



While H. B. Torrey, speaking of the influence that 



