TENDENCIES OF MODERN PHYSICS 35 



confuse reality and imagination; a science, which be- 

 comes so hypothetical or so specialized as to be unin- 

 telligible to the educated man, is apt to become as sterile 

 as a religion which is in the sole possession of a hier- 

 archy. 



This excessive use of hypothesis has developed a 

 sort of scientific cult which somewhat resembles a 

 religious dogma, in that adverse criticism of either 

 arouses a feeling of personal irritation. The rancor of 

 religious polemic is well known and is said to be due 

 to the fact that the believer of a religion relies on re- 

 vealed truth, to doubt which is sinful. The same oc- 

 curs with the supporters of a scientific hypothesis, who 

 declare their system to be founded on objective, experi- 

 mental fact, and to be developed by logical methods, 

 so that in doubting the hypothesis we are sinning 

 against truth and reason, the gospels of science. On 

 the other hand, discussions in experimental science are 

 noted for their calmness, for then we are criticising, 

 not personal opinions but objective facts, and we care 

 comparatively little which way the matter ends. The 

 theorist, on the contrary, forgets that, while founded 

 on experience, his hypothesis is developed in one way 

 or another according to his own personal opinion; 

 for example, the same facts of light made Newton 

 believe in corpuscles and Huygens in waves, and so 

 tKe theorist injects into his discussions the bitterness 

 of personal defeat or the exultation of personal victory. 



