APPOINTED MEMBER OF THE BERLIN ACADEMY. 353 



I expressed that in my inaugural address , when I 

 enlarged on the theme that science does not exist 

 for its own sake, merely to satisfy the thirst for 

 knowledge of the limited number of its votaries, but 

 that its office is to increase the treasures of know- 

 ledge and power of the human race, and thereby to 

 raise mankind to a higher level of civilization. It was 

 noteworthy that friend du Bois in his reply to my 

 address bade me at the end welcome "into the circle 

 of the Academy, which only pursues science for its own 

 sake". In very truth scientific investigation must not 

 be means to an end. The German savant has always 

 been justly distinguished by this , that he pursues 

 science on its own account, for the satisfaction of his 

 thirst for knowledge, and in this sense I have always 

 been able to reckon myself more to the savans than 

 to the engineers, since the prospective profit has either 

 not at all, or only in special cases, guided me in the 

 choice of my scientific work. The entrance into the 

 narrow circle of distinguished men of science could 

 not therefore but elevate me in a high degree and 

 spur me to scientific activity. Moreover the statutes 

 of the Academy exerted a beneficial constraint upon 

 me. Every member must in rotation give a lecture, 

 which is then printed in its Transactions. As it was 

 very disagreeable to evade this obligation, it compelled 

 me to complete and publish researches, which under 

 other circumstances I should perhaps have postponed 

 in favour of others seemingly more interesting, or have 



left altogether unfinished. Whilst therefore before my 



23 



