74 



NATURE 



[Nov. 22, 1877 



manner, in order not to show that he knew and recognised the 

 theory of descent, and that he knew exactly how man has origi- 

 nated and whence he comes. If indeed he did not know where 

 man goes to, yet he would at least believe that he knew for certain 

 how in the course of aeons the progressive series shaped itself. 

 Therefore I say that if we really did not demand the admission 

 of the theory of descent into the educational plan, this would 

 yet be accomplished of its own accord. 



We certainly should not forget, gentlemen, that what here we 

 express, perhaps still with a certain timid reserve, is propagated 

 by those outside with a confidence increased a thousand-fold. 

 For instance, I have once pronounced the phrase — in opposition 

 to the doctrine then reigning of the development of organic life 

 from inorganic matter— that each cell had its origin in another 

 cell, indeed at that time with special reference to pathology, and 

 principally with regard to man himself. I may remark here that 

 in both relations I still to-day consider this phrase a perfectly 

 correct one. But when I had pronounced this doctrine and had 

 formulated the origin of the cell from the cell, others were not 

 wanting who extended this phrase not only in the organic world 

 far beyond the limits for which I had intended it, but who put it 

 down as generally valid even beyond the limits of organic life. 

 I have received the most wonderful communications both from 

 America and Europe, in which the whole of astronomy and 

 geology were based upon the cellular theory, because it was 

 thought impossible that something which was decisive for the life 

 of organic nature upon this earth should not be equally applied 

 to the heavenly bodies, v^^hich virere said to be round bodies after 

 all, and which had shaped themselves into globes and represented 

 so many cells flying about ia universal space and playing a 

 part there similar to that of the cells in our body. 



I cannot say that the authors of these communications were 

 all decided fools and simpletons ; on the contrary, from some 

 of their explanations I gained the idea that many an other- 

 wise educated man, who had studied much and finally attacked 

 the problems of astronomy, could not understand that the utility 

 of heavenly phenomena should be based upon something else 

 than the utility of human organisation, so that he, in order to 

 gain a monistic conception eventually arrived at the supposition 

 that the heaven must also be an organism, that indeed the whole 

 world must be an organism of useful arrangement, and that no 

 other principle but that of the cells could apply to it. I cite this 

 only in order to show what shape things take outside, how 

 " theories " are enlarged, and how our own doctrines may return 

 to us in a form fearful to ourselves. Now only imagine how 

 the theory of descent may be shaped to-day in the head of a 

 socialist ! 



Indeed, gentlemen, this may seem ridiculous to many, but it 

 is very rerious, and I only hope that the theory of descent may 

 not bring all those horrors in our country which similar theories 

 have actually brought to our neighbours. Anyhow this theory, if 

 carried through to its consequences, has an extremely dangerous 

 side and that the socialists have a certain notion of it already, 

 you will doubtless have remarked. We must make this quite 

 clear to ourselves. 



Nevertheless the matter might be as dangerous as possible, 

 the confederates might be as bad as they could be, and yet I 

 say, from the moment when we are convinced that the theory 

 of descent is a doctrine perfectly proved, so certain that we could 

 swear by it, that we could say, thus it is, — from that moment we 

 must not hesitate to introduce it into general life, transmit it not 

 only to every educated person, but teach it to every child, make 

 it the basis of our whole conception of the universe, of society, 

 and of the state, and found our educational system upon it. 

 This I consider a necessity. 



In saying this I am not at all afraid of the reproach, which to 

 my astonishment has made a great noise in my Prussian Father- 

 land, while I was absent in Russia, I mean the reproach of half- 

 kmivledge. Strange to say, it was one of our so-called liberal 

 journals which asked the question whether the great faults of our 

 time, and socialism in particular, were not based upon the diffu- 

 sion of half-knowledge. With reference to this I would like to 

 state here, in the midst of the Naturalists' meeting, that all 

 human knowledge is only piece-work. All of us who call ourselves 

 naturalists, only possess pieces of natural science ; none of us 

 is able to come here and represent each science with the same 

 right, or participate in the discussions of any scientific section. On 

 the contrary, ic is just because they have developed themselves 

 in a certain one-sided direction, that we esteem the special scientific 

 men so highly. On the other fields we are all in half-knowledge 

 as it were. Oh ! that we could only succeed in diffusing this 



half-kno.vledge moro and more, if we could succeed in causing at 

 least the majority of educated persons to progress far enough to 

 be able to survey the principal directions which the single depart- 

 ments of natural science are taking, and to follow their develop- 

 ment without meeting difficalties toa great to be overcome, so 

 that they would at least be aware of the general progress of 

 science, if, indeed, they were not acquainted, at every moment, 

 with the totality of all single and special proofs. We do not 

 get much further ourselves. I, for instance, have honestly tried 

 during my time of life to obtain chemical knowledge ; I have 

 even worked ia a laboratory, but I feel thoroughly incompetent 

 to sit down at soma chemical meeting without preparation, and 

 to discuss modern chemistry in all directions. Nevertheless I 

 am able to penetrate, after a time, so far into any chemical 

 novelty that it does not strike me as incomprehensible. But I 

 must always first acquire this understanding, I have not got it to 

 start with ; and when I want it again I must acquire it again. 

 That which honours me is the knowledge of my ignorance. The 

 most important part is that I know perfectly well what I do not 

 know of chemistry. If I did not know that then of course I 

 should always be wavering to and fro. But as I imagine that I am 

 tolerably well aware what I do not know, I say to myself every 

 time I am obliged to enter a domain which is stdl closed to me : 

 " Now I must begin again to learn, now I must study afresh, 

 now I must do as anybody does who enters the domain of 

 science." The great error, which is equally shared by many 

 educated people, consists in not remembering that with the 

 enormous extent of natural science and with the inexhaustible 

 quantity of detailed material, it is i.-npossible for any single person 

 alive to cooimand the totality of all these details. That we get 

 far enough to kno w the yyw/^i:/^//^/;^ of natural science and the 

 gaps which exist in our own knowledge, so that every time we 

 find a gap of this kind we say to ourselves, — " Now you enter a 

 domain which is unknown to you," — that is what we must 

 arrive at. If everybody was only sufficiently aware of this, many 

 a one would beat his breast and own that it is a dangerous thing 

 to draw general conclusions with regard to the history of all 

 things when one is not even entirely master of the material from 

 which these conclusions are to be drawn. 

 {To be continued.) 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



Cambridge. — This term has witnessed the election of two 

 new Natural Science fellows. Mr. A. M. Marshall, Senior in 

 the Tripos of 1874, has been elected at his own College, St. 

 John's. His able papers on Embryology have been an im- 

 portant addition to the researches which are making the British 

 school again famous in this subject, and he is the first Doctor of 

 Science in Comparative Anatomy in the University of London. 

 Two of the newly-elected fellows of St. John's are taking to 

 Medicine, viz.. Dr. Marshall and Mr, McAlister, the last Senior 

 Wrangler. At Trinity the open fellowship has been adjudged for the 

 first time to a non-member of the College, Mr. J. N. Langley, 

 B. A., of St. John's, whose services as Demonstrator of Physiology 

 to Dr. Foster are most highly appreciated, while his originality and 

 perseverance in research will, before long, be much more widely 

 known than at present. I understand that the aid of Piof Huxley 

 was called in, giving the highest guarantee to the examination in 

 Biology, and that several candidates showed themselves in every 

 way worthy of a fellowship, especially in the original memoirs 

 which were sent in before the examination. 



The new buildings for anatomy and physiology are advancing 

 to completion and are partially occupied, Mr. Bilfour's two prac- 

 tical courses of Comparative Anatomy being accommodated in 

 them. Dr. Foster will transfer much of his work here after 

 Christmas. The new buildings will be almost too small as soon 

 as completed, for Dr. Foster has fifty men and several ladies 

 working in his elementary classes this term, a very large number 

 when it is considered that this is voluntary and not prescribed 

 work. It is but a just tribute to Dr. Foster's rare value as a 

 teacher who makes his students think, who sacrifices his time 

 most indefatigably for their interests, and who cultivates the 

 powers of investigation developing in his pupils with all the 

 care of a paren^. Instead of engrossing authority to him- 

 self, he sets his senior pupils to lecture on the subjects 

 they make a special study ; thus during the present winter the 

 advanced class will receive lectures from Dr, Gaskell, Mr. Langley, 

 and Mr. Lea. Mr, Vines has returned from working in Germany 



