PRESENT ASPECTS OF THE QUESTION n 



into a mere spontaneous improvement of brute 

 ancestors, have stimulated to an intense degree that 

 popular unrest, so natural to an age discontented 

 with its lot, because it has learned what it might do 

 and have, without being able to realise its expecta 

 tions, and which threatens to overthrow the whole 

 fabric of society as at present constituted. 



In these circumstances it seems desirable that 

 science, and especially natural and physical science, 

 which may in some degree be held responsible for 

 this movement, should define its own position, and do 

 what it can to remove the difficulties and relieve the 

 fears which have been engendered by the use or mis 

 use of its facts and principles. 



Science will in this way best consult its true 

 interests ; since, if it commits itself to a philosophy 

 professing finality, it is pretty certain to suffer in 

 the inevitable reaction. On the other hand, if it will 

 carefully sift that which is true from that which is 

 false or hypothetical, it may ultimately fall heir to 

 anything that may be valuable or permanent in the 

 new philosophy without suffering from its mistakes. 



We must bear in mind in this connection, that 

 systems of philosophy which endeavour to explain 

 everything by one idea, as they have appeared from 

 time to time, though they have sprung into the field 

 like boastful Goliaths, cowing too many good men for 

 a time into silence or retreat, have soon proved vul 

 nerable to mere pebbles from the armoury of nature. 



