NATURE 



33 



THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1922. 



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Classics and Science. 



LORD MILNER, in his presidential address 

 to the Classical Association on January 6, 

 made a notable declaration of the unity of educa- 

 tional purpose of classical and scientific studies. 

 He pointed out that to the mind which had received 

 real enlightenment there could be no antagonism 

 between these two great branches of human know- 

 ledge. " All modern science had its roots in the 

 classics, and, on the other hand, no man imbued 

 with the spirit of the great classical writers could be 

 lacking in respect for science or fail to recognise its 

 •supreme importance to the progress of mankind." 

 Lord Milner went on to say : — 



" I wonder what Plato and Aristotle, could they 

 reappear among men to-day, would say to an educa- 

 tion that was purely linguistic, even if the literature 

 with which it occupied itself was the best ever 

 known. Looking with wondering eyes on the achieve- 

 ments of science which had transformed the world 

 since their day and given to man command over 

 physical forces such as they had never dreamed of, 

 would they not be seized with an intense desire to 

 probe these marvels to the bottom, to know all 

 about their causes, the methods and the steps by 

 which such great results had been attained? And 

 what would they think of a man \yho, living in the 

 midst of these achievements, took no interest in them 

 except in so far as they affected his personal con- 

 venience and well-being, enabling him to satisfy his 

 wants cheaply, to travel with rapidity and comfort, 

 to communicate in a few minutes with the uttermost 

 ends of the globe, to escape suffering, avert disease, 

 and even postpone the advent of death, and who 

 never felt impelled to go more deeply into the matter 

 and to learn something of the inner nature of the 

 NO. 2724, VOL. 109] 



mysterious forces the discovery of which was so 

 rapidly transforming the life of men upon this 

 earth? Any Greek philosopher revisiting the world 

 to-day would condemn such a man as a misfit — a 

 creature unsuited to its environment." 



With this conception of the close relationship be- 

 tween classical learning and scientific discovery most 

 scientific workers will be in cordial agreement. The 

 common enemies of both are ignorance, sordid com- 

 mercialism, and general public indifference to intel- 

 lectual light, whether it comes from the past or the 

 present. There was a time when this was not so 

 clearly recognised as it is to-day, and when classical 

 scholars placed followers of experimental science 

 among the barbarians. Tradition, method, social 

 distinctions and professional prospects were then all 

 on the side of the classics of Greece and Rome, and 

 the most capable pupils were directed to the study 

 of them and discouraged from devoting attention to 

 modern scientific studies. It was claimed that 

 instruction in classical languages was particularly 

 valuable in developing accuracy, training reasoning 

 powers, improving the memory, and cultivating all 

 the faculties necessary to make the best use of life 

 in any field. Psychologists have, however, de- 

 stroyed the educational concept upon which this 

 claim is based, and it is no longer believed that the 

 exercise of the mind on one kind of material im- 

 proves the faculty to deal with other kinds. No 

 subject can therefore be put forward as affording 

 unique general training in mental faculties or powers. 



We are glad that Lord Milner did not base his 

 plea for classical studies upon the grounds of the 

 mental discipline secured through concentration upon 

 the letter, but dealt rather with the spirit manifested 

 in the literature and culture of ancient Greece and 

 Rome and its guidance for life to-day. Whatever 

 may have been the true source of Greek thought and 

 discussion, whether intuitive or acquired, our own 

 intellectual culture is unquestionably of Greek origin. 

 While Latin was first taught as a medium of expres- 

 sion, and for use in the needs of life, Greek was 

 studied for the knowledge to be gained through it. 

 We do not hesitate to pay tribute to the brilliant 

 genius of Ionian philosophy, the careful work of 

 Hippocrates and his school, and the richness of the 

 Alexandrian epoch. In the teaching of the Ionian 

 school it is possible to find, as Prof. Gomperz has 

 pointed out, two of the corner-stones of modern 

 chemistry — the existence of elements and the con- 

 ception of a single fundamental or primordial matter 

 as the source of material diversity. Advanced views 

 relating to the shapes and motions of bodies in the 

 solar system were held at a very early date in Greek 



