146 



SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT. 



something different viz., the modern practical popular- 

 isation of science : it established its educational and its 

 technical importance. Science was to be not an elegant 

 amusement, or a refined luxury, nor even exclusively 

 the serious occupation of the rare genius : it was to be 

 the basis of a national instruction, and the foundation 

 of the greatness and wealth of the nation. The Memoirs 

 of the Academy were cleansed of all dangerous general- 

 isations which might have brought them into touch with 

 political controversy ; the language was confined to the 

 measured and concise statement of facts, or to theories 

 capable of mathematical verification and treatment ; con- 

 jectural matter was carefully excluded, and a standard of 

 scientific excellence, both in matter and form, was raised, 

 to which we still look up with admiration. 1 At the same 

 time, this lofty and dignified spirit enlivened the courses 



mal and diseased conditions. This 

 organisation produced, during its 

 short existence of only seven years, 

 some memorable works ; but its 

 position was for various reasons 

 secondary only : it was eclipsed by 

 the European renown which the 

 " Academic des Sciences " possessed, 

 owing to its historical antecedents 

 and its brilliant discoveries and the 

 practical usefulness of its labours. 

 But the idea of including ethical 

 and political studies under the term 

 " Science," due probably to Con- 

 dorcet, was fixed by this organisa- 

 tion, and has in the course of the 

 century acquired increasing influ- 

 ence. From these beginnings we 

 shall have to study its career in an- 

 other portion of the present work. 



1 According to Cuvier, " la langue 

 naturelle de l'Acade"mie des Sci- 

 en9es" is "la langue des chiftres" 

 ('Eloges,' vol. i. p. 24); "!' Acade- 

 mic a toujours eu pour principe de 



ne se rendre qu'a des calculs ou a, des 

 experiences positives" (vol. iii. p. 12). 

 Compare also ' Mem. de 1'Institut,' 

 vol. vii. p. 77, where he speaks of 

 the method of Newton, showing 

 how little the employment of a 

 principle like that of ' ' vital force " 

 in physiology can be compared with 

 that of gravitation, employed by 

 Newton to explain the movement 

 of the heavenly bodies ; again, vol. 

 viii. p. 139, where he refers to the 

 great service rendered by the Aca- 

 demy, " s'il parvenait a diriger les 

 esprits vers des recherches positives, 

 mais longues et pdnibles." And 

 vol. ix. p. 61 : " On aime toujours 

 a voir se multiplier dans les sciences 

 expeVimen tales les moyens simples 

 d'arriver a la precision et de se 

 rapprocher des sciences mathema- 

 tiques," and other passages quoted 

 above, p. 115 and p. 128. See also 

 his remarks on the Philosophy of 

 Nature, 'Rapport,' p. 335. 



