HELMHOLTZ IN BERLIN 



system, and a statement of the goal towards which he 

 strives. They wish to know what his work has done 

 for the great problems of human life.' 



Helmholtz indicates his position in the words he 

 uses regarding his pupil Hertz. ' He takes his place 

 among those who see the advancement of humanity 

 in the greatest possible development of their spiritual 

 talents and in the sovereignty of the spirit over the 

 natural passions and the hostile powers of nature. 

 To bring about this there must be a severe mental 

 discipline. Thought, the will, and the power of 

 action must be brought into subjection.' Helmholtz 

 himself submitted to a life-long discipline. He says : 

 C I have never considered a research complete until 

 it stood before me perfect and without logical defects. 

 It was always formulated in writing. My conscience 

 stood before my mind and the wisest of my friends, 

 and I asked myself if they approved of my work. 

 They were the embodiment of the scientific spirit of 

 an ideal humanity and gave me my measure. 



' I do not mean to say that in the first half of my 

 life, when I had still to work for my outward position, 

 that higher ethical motives than those of the desire 

 of knowledge, and a feeling of doing my duty as an 

 officer of the state, influenced my life, at all events it 

 was not easy to be sure of their existence while 

 egoistic motives compelled me to work. Most in- 

 vestigators feel this. But later on, when one's posi- 

 tion had been secured, at a time when some who, 

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