THE NATURE OF SCIENCE 37 



classification, the systematization of facts. When we classify 

 facts, we indicate their relations one to another ; in other words, 

 we interpret them in terms of one another. Therefore, not only 

 observation, but thought, is necessary. " The classification of 

 facts, the recognition of their sequences and relative significance, 

 is the function of science." x " The goal of sciencejis clear it is 

 nothing short of the complete interpretation of the universe." 2 

 "There is no way to gain a knowledge of the universe except 

 through the gateway of the scientific method. The hard, stony 

 path of classifying facts and reasoning upon them is the only way 

 to ascertain truth." 3 " We must never forget that it is principles, 

 not phenomena the interpretation, not the knowledge of facts 

 that are the objects of inquiry." 4 " The world only becomes in- 

 telligible when it is conceived as a systematic unity, the elements 

 of which are throughout in necessary relation to each other. The 

 attainment of knowledge is nothing but the more thorough and 

 complete determination of these relations. Hence, every element 

 of reality is understood just to the extent to which its necessary 

 relations to other elements are grasped. No doubt reality as 

 presented to us is infinitely complex, and consists of various 

 phenomena which resemble each other generally, yet differ in- 

 definitely in detail. But every postulate of knowledge compels us 

 to think every variation and every detail, even the smallest, as so 

 determined by conditions that, under the circumstances, it could 

 not possibly be other than it is." 5 " Scientific thought does not 

 mean thoughts about subjects with long names. There are no 

 scientific subjects. The subject of science is the human universe ; 

 that is to say, everything that has been or may be related to 

 man." 6 



67. As there are no scientific subjects, so there are no scientific 

 facts. There are only facts which have, or have not, been used in 

 science which have or have not been systematically classified. 

 We have only to think of our houses and friends, of our general 

 surroundings, to recall countless facts quite as indisputably true 

 as any that have been incorporated into science, but which, owing 

 to our deficiencies, are not as yet facts for science ; for though each 

 of us seeks to classify these everyday facts in such a way as will 

 enable him to move in comfort and security in his world, yet we 

 cannot link them together in such categories as will enable man- 



1 Pearson, Grammar of Science, ed. 1900, p. 6. 2 Op. cit., p. 14. 



3 Op. cit., p. 17. 4 Herschel, Natural Philosophy, 10. 



6 Welton, Manual of Logic, vol. ii. p. 188. 6 Clifford, Essays, p. 86. 



