THE STABILITY OF TRUTH. 



353 



firmly convinced, by at least nine tenths of the men of 

 science now living ; indeed, I believe, by all men of sci- 

 ence in whom the following four conditions are realized : 

 (i) Sufficient acquaintance with the various departments 

 of natural science, and in particular with the modern 

 doctrine of evolution ; (2) sufficient acuteness and 

 clearness of judgment to draw, by induction and*deduc- 

 tion, the necessary logical consequences that flow from 

 such empirical knowledge ; (3) sufficient moral courage 

 to maintain the monistic knowledge so gained against 

 the attacks of hostile dualistic and pluralistic systems; 

 and (4) sufficient strength of mind to free himself, by 

 sound, independent reasoning, from dominant religious 

 prejudices, and especially from those irrational dogmas 

 which have been firmly lodged in our minds from earli- 

 est youth as indisputable revelations." 



Against such assumption I must protest. I have 

 nothing against the doctrines save that they are not yet 

 proved true. In themselves, as I have said, they are 

 attractive. One may naturally feel a hopeful interest 

 in wide-reaching theories which seem plausible, but are 

 still unproved or unworkable. This is, however, not 

 "belief." It is rather open-mindedness, open to nega- 

 tive evidence as well as to positive. 



As science goes wherever the facts lead, so " science 

 must stop where the facts stop." It can not add to its 



methods the running high jump, nor 

 Science stops lace thg diyini rod wkh the micrQ . 



where facts stop. 



scope, crucible, and calculus among its 



instruments of precision. Beyond the range of scientific 

 knowledge extend the working and the unworkable 

 hypotheses. Beyond the confines of all these extend 

 the universe of the mind, the boundless realm which is 

 the abode of philosophy. None should better realize 

 these distinctions than men of science. 



