146 



SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT. 



something different viz., the modern practical popular- 

 isation of science : it established its educational and its 

 technical importance. Science was to be not an elegant 

 amusement, or a refined luxury, nor even exclusively 

 the serious occupation of the rare genius : it was to be 

 the basis of a national instruction, and the foundation 

 of the greatness and wealth of the nation. The Memoirs 

 of the Academy were cleansed of all dangerous general- 

 isations which might have brought them into touch with 

 political controversy ; the language was confined to the 

 measured and concise statement of facts, or to theories 

 capable of mathematical verification and treatment ; con- 

 jectural matter was carefully excluded, and a standard of 

 scientific excellence, both in matter and form, was raised, 

 to which we still look up with admiration.^ At the same 

 time, this lofty and dignified spirit enlivened the courses 



mal and diseased conditions. This 

 organisation produced, during its 

 sliort existence of only seven years, 

 some memorable works ; but its 

 position was for various reasons 

 secondary only : it was eclipsed by 

 the European renown which the 

 "Academie des Sciences" possessed, 

 owing to its historical antecedents 

 and its brilliant discoveries and the 

 practical usefulness of its labours. 

 But the idea of including ethical 

 and political studies under the term 

 "Science," due probably to Con- 

 dorcet, was fixed by this organisa- 

 tion, and has in the course of the 

 century acquired increasing influ- 

 ence. From these beginnings we 

 shall have to study its career in an- 

 other portion of the present work. 



1 According to Cuvier, " la langue 

 naturelle de I'Academie des Sci- 

 ences" is "la langue des chiffres " 

 (' Eloges,' vol. i. p. 24) ; "I'Acade- 

 mie a tou jours eu pour principe de 



ne se rendre qu'a des calculs ou ii des 

 experiences positives" (vol. iii. p. 12). 

 Compare also 'Mem. de I'lnstitut,' 

 vol. vii. p. 77, where he speaks of 

 the method of Newton, showing 

 how little the employment of a 

 principle like that of " vital force " 

 in physiology can be compared with 

 that of gravitation, employed by 

 Newton to explain the movement 

 of the heavenly bodies ; again, vol. 

 viii. p. 139, where he refers to the 

 great service rendered by the Aca- 

 demy, "s'il parvenait a diriger les 

 esprits vers des reeherches positives, 

 mais longues et pdnibles." And 

 vol. ix. p. 61 : " On aime toujours 

 kvoir se multiplier dans les sciences 

 expdrimentales les moyens simples 

 d'arriver h, la precision et de se 

 rapprocher des sciences math^ma- 

 tiques," and other passages quoted 

 above, p. 115 and p. 128. See also 

 his remarks on the Philosojihy of 

 Nature, 'Rapport,' p. 335. 



