SCIENCE FOR LIFE 16 



to supplement deficiencies in our own ; and the begin- 

 ning of the application of the young science of Psycho- 

 biology to very subtle problems of life. 



§ 3. The Dangers of Short-sighted Utilitarianism 



To apply the results of scientific inquiry to the 

 amelioration of human life is certainly the trend of 

 evolution, and to focus scientific intelligence on practical 

 puzzles is obviously common sense. Yet there are 

 many who shake their heads over making a definite 

 policy of ' Science for Life.' Their objections are, (1) 

 that the advances that count in the long run are made 

 by Pure Science, pursued for its own sake ; and (2) 

 that preoccupation with, and glorification of practically 

 useful results suggests, especially to the careless, an 

 entirely wrong view of the aim of Science. 



There is no doubt that the chief end of Science is 

 Understanding. Its aim is intellectual, — to describe 

 things and occurrences, co-existences and sequences, 

 as completely as possible, as simply as possible, as 

 consistently as possible. This endeavour leads to the 

 discovery of order, uniformity, inter-relations, and 

 chains of sequence which are systematised in formulae 

 and laws. "If this, then that," is what Science is 

 always saying. It aims at thought-models, common 

 denominators, unifications ; it seeks to reduce the 

 obscure, the discrepant, the anomalous. Now, if the 

 end of Science be Understanding, Science for light 



