Modern Science : A Criticism 



Of course this limitation of the validity of 

 Science has been recognised by most of those 

 who have thought about the matter ; ^ but it is 

 so commonly overlooked, and latterly the notion 

 has so far gained ground that the " laws " of 

 science are immutable facts and eternal statements 

 of verity, that it may be worth while to treat the 

 subject a little more in detail. 



The method of Science is the method of all 

 mundane knowledge ; it is that of limitation or 

 actual ignorance. Placed in face of the great 

 uncontained unity of Nature we can only deal 

 with it in thought by selecting certain details and 

 isolating those (either wilfully or unconsciously) 

 from the rest. That is right enough. But in 

 doing so — in isolating such and such details — we 

 practically beg the question we are in search of ; 

 and, moreover, in supposing such isolation we 

 suppose what is false, and therefore vitiate our 

 conclusion. From these two radical defects of 

 all intellectual inquiry we cannot escape. The 

 views of Science are like the views of a mountain ; 

 each is only possible as long as you limit yourself 

 to a certain standpoint. Move your position, 

 and the view is changed. 



Perhaps the word " species " will illustrate our 

 meaning as well as any word ; and, in a sense, 

 the word is typical of the method of Science. I 



I See note, p. 119. 



» Since the above was written there has certainly been a great 

 change, and the dogmatic confidence in the verity of the scientific 

 "laws" has now (1920) almost disappeared. 



81 F 



