CHAPTER H 



THE AIM OF SCIENCE 



"The classification of facts, the recognition 

 of their sequence and relative significance is the 

 function of science, and the habit of forming a 

 judgment upon these facts unbiassed by personal 

 feeling is characteristic of what may be termed the 

 scientific frame of mind." KARL PEARSON. 



Observation, Description, and Formulation Science and 

 Common-Sense The Subject-Matter of Science De- 

 scriptive Character of Science Knowledge of Causes- 

 Reduction to Simpler Terms Laws of Nature Particu- 

 lar Aims of Different Sciences The Evolutionary Aim 

 Summary. 



LONGSTANDING controversies regarding science 

 and religion, science and theology, science and 

 philosophy, science and poetry, owe their longev- 

 ity partly to a misunderstanding of the aim of 

 Science. We propose, therefore, to devote a 

 chapter to this subject, which is also of great in- 

 terest for its own sake. 



OBSERVATION, DESCRIPTION, FORMULATION. 

 The primary aim of Science is the concise de- 

 scription of the knowable universe. The man of 



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