THE PRUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 531 



ceived the prize in 1768 for an essay on the topic, 'Is it possible to 

 destroy natural inclination, and how may one strengthen the good and 

 weaken the bad?', but even here it was Kant who stated the problem 

 so eflEectively as to overthrow the philosophy of the Aufkldrung and 

 to establish ethics upon a new and firmer basis. The origin of language 

 was discussed in 31 treatises in 1769, and the prize awarded to Herder, 

 who took the ground that it is neither divine in its origin nor an 

 invention of men, but a gradual growth springing out of the necessities 

 of human nature and therefore imperfect and incomplete. 



One hundred years later this essay received the approval of Jacob 

 Grimm. In 1775 Herder won a second prize by an essay on 'The 

 degeneration of taste in various peoples,' and in 1780 on the theme, 

 'What has been the influence of government on letters among the 

 nations where they have flourished, and what influence have they had 

 on government ? ' These essays were epoch-making for historical study. 

 In 1784 the theme was, ' What has made the French language the uni- 

 versal language of Europe, or by what means did it win this promi- 

 nence? Can we believe that this prominence will be permanent?' 



Lambert, a man whom Kant regarded as the greatest genius of his 

 time and in whose judgment as a critic he had complete confidence, 

 died in 1773, after a membership in the academy of thirteen years. 

 While he lived he read all that Kant wrote before it was given to the 

 world. He composed essays for three of the four classes into which 

 the members of the academy were divided, published in addition to 

 these papers, fifty-two treatises, perhaps one hundred pamphlets, and 

 ten very large works. ISTot a little was accomplished by the academy 

 during these years for geology and mineralogy, as well as for astronomy 

 and mathematics. Pott made the academy famous in chemistry, but 

 Marggraff and Achard were large contributors to the science. Walter 

 succeeded Meckel, the anatomist, in 1773, and laid the foundation by 

 his splendid achievements of the anatomical museum of the University 

 of Berlin. Neutral as the academy was in its philosophy, it yet pre- 

 pared the way for Kant and the general acceptance of his opinions in 

 Germany. It was equally neutral in religion, and in morals it sym- 

 pathized with the king, who admired, and probably made his own, the 

 opinions of Marcus Aurelius and the Stoics. The academy, through 

 Maupertuis, Euler and La Grange, made the works of ISTewton known 

 to Germany, and in this way, as well as in many other ways, stimulated 

 and directed the scientific movement among all the German-speaking 

 peoples. 



Some idea of the industry of the members of the academy may be 

 formed if we observe the number of works credited to them in its 

 catalogue. The secretary, Formey, leads with 140 titles. John Gott- 

 fried Gleditsch has 36 titles. To Gerhard, the geologist, there are 



