190 THE LIMITATIONS OF SCIENCE 



towards checking the accuracy of observation and the 

 logic of deduction. As for hypothesis, there is a gen- 

 erally accepted and naive belief that any such endeavor 

 is beneficial. 



The writings of men of genius in science frequently 

 exhibit this sort of naivete in method of thought. And 

 probably a too critical attitude would be a hindrance 

 to their creative powers as they must look at problems 

 intensively, and exclude the many complexities and 

 doubts which would tend to embarrass them in their 

 special work. It would be foolish to say " thus and 

 thus only shall a man work out his ideas." We have 

 an Ampere who develops the laws of electro-dynamics 

 from the experimental facts of electricity, and quite in- 

 dependently of the prevailing hypothesis of the nature 

 of electricity; and, on the other hand, a Lord Kelvin 

 who could not work until he had first visualized a 

 problem, and usually he put this image into a concrete 

 form, making for the purpose many different models 

 of atoms out of sticks and strings, to illustrate the 

 properties of matter. 



But science has other functions in addition to the 

 attack and solution of problems by the creative power 

 of the individual : phenomena and laws must be taught 

 in detail to the specialist; general conclusions must be 

 given to the world in order that they may become a 

 part of the general intellectual life; and finally dis- 

 coveries are to be applied to social and industrial needs. 



