The Evolution of the Sciences 



produces it. It neither proceeds from anything 

 external to the world nor from any mysterious 

 thing hidden in the world; it proceeds from a 

 general fact similar to the others, from a parent 

 law from which the others can be deduced, just 

 as all the phenomena of weight are derived from 

 the law of attraction and all the phenomena of 

 light from the law of undulations. This law 

 is the final object of science, and if we could rise 

 to its height we should see the eternal torrent 

 of events and the infinite sea of things issuing 

 from it, as from a spring, by separate and diver- 

 gent channels. " 



If the fusion of the sciences is ever to be 

 realised, either according to Taine's dream or in 

 some other manner, it must be by the constant 

 communion of all those who work in laboratories. 

 For this purpose it is desirable to multiply the 

 points of contact between the sciences instead of 

 strengthening the partitions which separate 

 them. It would be childish to attempt to 

 secure unity by artificial means. Only the 

 independent action of the sciences, the inter- 

 change of ideas and freedom of discussion, can 



weld them together; only in this way can a 



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