1^4 Edward Livingston Youmans. 



coherent body of doctrine defended by theologians, it has 

 become the habit of the theological party to think of the 

 antagonist scientific party under this title of positivists, 

 applied to them by Comte. And then, from the habit of 

 calling them positivists there has grown up the assumption 

 that they call themselves positivists, and that they are 

 disciples of Comte. The truth is, however, that Comte and 

 his doctrines receive here scarcely any attention. I know 

 something of the scientific world in England, and I cannot 

 name a single man of science who acknowledges himself a 

 follower of Comte or accepts the title of positivist. Lest, 

 however, there should be some such who were unknown to 

 me, I have recently made some inquiries into the matter. 

 To Prof. Tyndall I put the question, whether Comte had 

 exercised any appreciable influence on his own course of 

 thought ; and he replied, " So far as I know, my course of 

 thought would have been exactly the same had Comte 

 never existed." I then put the further question, " Do you 

 know any man of science whose views have been affected 

 by Comte's writings ? " and his answer was, " The influence 

 of Comte on scientific thought in England is absolutely 

 nil." I put the same two questions to Prof. Huxley, and 

 received, in other words, just the same -answers. And 

 Prof. Huxley pointed out to me passages in his own writ- 

 ings in which he spoke of Comte in language almost con- 

 temptuous. Prof. Huxley and Tyndall, being leaders in 

 their respective departments, and being also men of gen- 

 eral culture and philosophic insight, I think that, joining 

 their impressions with my own, I am justified in saying 

 that the scientific world of England is wholly uninfluenced 

 by Comte. Such small influence as Comte has had here 

 has been on some literary men and historians men who 

 were attracted by the grand achievements of science, who 

 were charmed by the plausible system of scientific gen- 

 eralizations put forth by Comte, with the usual French 



