20 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



cleareJ, but a true inductive basis of facts, and especially of laws and 

 methods, must be laid. T/iis icas the life-work of Agassiz. Yes, as 

 strange as it may seem to some, it is nevertheless true that the whole 

 inductive basis, upon which was afterward built the modern theory of 

 evolution, was laid by Agassiz. although he himself persistently re- 

 fused to build upon it any really scientitic superstructure. It is plain, 

 then, that all attempts at building previous to Agassiz's work must, of 

 necessity, have resulted in an unsubstantial structure — an edifice built 

 on sand, which could not and ought not to stand. I must stop here in 

 order to explain somewhat fully this important point, and thus to give 

 due credit to the work of Agassiz. 



The title of any scientist to greatness must be determined, not so 

 much by the multitude of new facts he has discovered as by the new 

 laws he has established, and especially by the new methods he has in- 

 augurated or perfected. Now, I think it can be shown that to Agas- 

 siz, more than to any other man, is due the credit of having established 

 the laics of succession of livinf/ forms in the geological history of the 

 earth — laws upon which must rest any true theory of evolution. Also, 

 that to him, more than to any other man, is due the credit of having 

 perfected the method (method of comparison) by the use of which alone 

 biological science has advanced so i-apidly in modern times. This is 

 high praise. I wish to justify it. I begin with the method. 



Scientific methods bear the same relation to intellectual jyrogress 

 that tools, instruments, machines, mechanical contrivances of all sorts, 

 bear to material progress. They are intellectual contrivances — indi- 

 rect ways of accomplishing results far too hard for bare-handed, un- 

 aided intellectual strength. As the civilized man has little or no 

 advantage over the savage in bare-handed strength of muscle, and the 

 enormous superiority of the latter in accomplishing material results is 

 due wholly to the use of mechanical contrivances or machines ; even 

 80, in the higher sphere of intellect, the scientist makes no pretension 

 to the possession of greater unaided intellectual strength than belongs 

 to the uncultured man, or even perhaps to the savage. The amazing 

 intellectual results achieved by science are due wholly to the use of 

 intellectual contrivances or scientific methods. As in the lower sphere 

 of material progress the greatest benefactors of the race are the in- 

 ventors or perfecters of new mechanical contrivances or machines, so 

 also in the higher sphere of intellectual progress the greatest bene- 

 factors of the race are the inventors or perfecters of new intellectual 

 contrivances or methods of research. 



To illustrate the power of methods, and the necessity of their use, 

 take the case of the method of notation, so characteristic of mathe- 

 matics, and take it even in its simplest and most familiar form : Nine 

 numeral figures, having each a value of its own, and another depend- 

 ent upon its position ; a few letters, a and b, and x and y, connected 

 by symbols, + ii'id — and = : that is all. And yet, by the use of 



