623 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCtt. 



formed so dominant a factor in Faraday's life. I allude 

 to Mr. Charles Darwin, the Abraham of scientific men a 

 searcher as obedient to the command of truth as was the 

 patriarch to the command of God. I cannot therefore, as 

 so many desire, look upon Faraday's religious belief as the 

 exclusive source of qualities shared so conspicuously by 

 one uninfluenced by that belief. To a deeper virtue 

 belonging to human nature in its purer forms I am dis- 

 posed to refer the excellence of both. 



Superstition may be defined as constructive religion 

 which has grown incongruous with intelligence. We may 

 admit, with Fichte, "that superstition has unquestionably 

 constrained its subjects to abandon many pernicious prac- 

 tices and to adopt many useful ones; " the real loss accom- 

 panying its decay at the present day has been thus clearly 

 stated by the same philosopher: " In so far as these 

 lamentations do not proceed from the priests themselves 

 whose grief at the loss of their dominion over the human 

 mind we can well understand but from the politicians, 

 the whole matter resolves itself into this, that government 

 has thereby become more difficult and expensive. The 

 judge was spared the exercise of his own sagacity and pene- 

 tration when, by threats of relentless damnation, he could 

 compel the accused to make confession. The evil spirit 

 formerly performed without reward services for which in 

 later times judges and policemen have to be paid." 



No man ever felt the need of a high and ennobling 

 religion more thoroughly than this powerful and fervid 

 teacher, who, by the way, did not escape the brand of 

 "atheist." But Fichte asserted emphatically the power 

 and sufficiency of morality in its own sphere. " Let us 

 consider/' he says, " the highest which man can possess in 

 the absence of religion I mean pure morality. The 

 moral man obeys the law of duty in his breast absolutely, 

 because it is a law unto him; and he does whatever reveals 

 itself to him as his duty simply because it is duty. Let 

 not the impudent assertion be repeated that such an 

 obedience, without regard for consequences, and without 

 desire for consequences, is in itself impossible and opposed 

 to human nature." So much for Fichte. Faraday was 

 equally distinct. "I have no intention," he says, "of 

 substituting anything for religion, but I wish to take that 

 part of human nature which is independent of it. Moral- 



