ADDITIONS TO THE THIRD EDITION. 



INTRODUCTION. 



THERE is a difficulty in writing for popular readers a History of the 

 Inductive Sciences, arising from this ; — that the sympathy of such 

 readers goes most readily and naturally along the course -which leads 

 to false science and to failure. Men, in the outset of their attempts at 

 knowledge, are prone to rush from a few hasty observations of facts to 

 some wide and comprehensive principles ; and then, to frame a system 

 on these principles. This is the opposite of the method by which the 

 Sciences have really and historically been conducted; namely, the 

 method of a gradual and cautious ascent from observation to principles 

 of limited generality, and from them to others more general. This 

 latter, the true Scientific Method, is Induction, and has led to the In- 

 ductive Sciences. The other, the spontaneous and delusive course, has 

 been termed by Francis Bacon, who first clearly pointed out the dis- 

 tinction, and warned men of the error, Anticipation. The hopelessness 

 of this course is the great lesson of his philosophy ; but by this course 

 proceeded all the earlier attempts of the Greek philosophers to obtain 

 a knowledge of the Universe. 



Laborious observation, narrow and modest inference, caution, slow 

 and gradual advance, limited knowledge, are all unwelcome efforts and 

 restraints to the mind of man, when his speculative spirit is once 

 roused : yet these are the necessary conditions of all advance in the 

 Inductive Sciences. Hence, as I have said, it is difficult to win the 

 sympathy of popular readers to the true history of these sciences. The 

 career of bold systems and fanciful pretences of knowledge is more en- 

 tertaining and striking. Not only so, but the bold guesses and fanci- 

 ful reasonings of men unchecked by doubt or fear of failure are often 

 presented as the dictates of Common Sense ; — as the plain, unsophist- 

 icated, unforced reason of man, acting according to no artificial rules, 

 but following its own natural course. Such Common Sense, while it 



