HUMAN PROSPECTS — BLACKWELDER 271 



modern scientists but can hardly be called scientists themselves. No 

 true scientist would have seriously put forth as a conclusion so fan- 

 tastic and wholly unverified a notion as the great Aristotle's dictum 

 that earthquakes are due to the surging of the wind through caverns 

 in the earth. Even allowing for the inaccuracies of translation from 

 the Greek, one can find only the slenderest evidence to support this 

 opinion. It was a result of pure speculation upon a subject about 

 which the author had not even the most elementary knowledge. Yet 

 it was quoted with approval for 20 centuries. This is all the more 

 inexcusable because a considerable body of definite information about 

 earthquakes was available in the Greek world of Aristotle's day, and 

 there were many pertinent observations on geology that could easily 

 have been made in that epoch, even without modem instruments, if 

 serious attention had been devoted to the problems. 



In its early stages the cultivation of science was often too largely 

 a contest between champions of rival theories. In ancient Greece the 

 celebrated master gathered about liim a group of disciples who too 

 often came to regard his pronouncements as infallible. In the school 

 of such a man as Pythagoras of Sicily, to quote the leader was suf- 

 ficient to settle any disputed point. The ideas of the master thus 

 became dogmas and took on a kind of sanctity. 



It must be admitted that dogma has been the fashion of the past. 

 For millions of the earth's inhabitants it still remains so. Today we 

 see the current of progress being reversed in the despot-ridden coun- 

 tries of Europe, where the privilege of freely drawing conclusions 

 from evidence is being restricted and the blind acceptance of official 

 dogma is exalted as a duty, if not a necessity. 



Even in the last century or two the history of science was marred 

 by many a bitter controversy between rival leaders and their followers 

 over theories. A theory was defended like a home citadel, and 

 doubters were considered enemies actuated by the darkest of motives. 

 Among such bickerings there was by contrast the magnanimity of 

 Charles Darwin who said, regarding the storm of criticism that 

 raged after the publication of "The Origin of Species," "If my book 

 cannot stand the bombardment, why then let it go down and be 

 forgotten." 



Fortunately, rancorous disputes have nowadays largely ceased to 

 afflict the relations of real scientists. Yet there is still far too much 

 of that spirit in the world at large. It has been well said that "Most 

 men think with their emotions rather than their intellects." The 

 ancient method of verbal combat is still employed in our law courts 

 and legislative halls. Each participant adheres to his thesis. Search 

 is then made for evidence to support it and at the same time to 



