18 The Higher Usefulness of Science 



the common point of view underlying them has devel- 

 oped in the author's mind. It is, too, the reverse order, 

 probably, from that which would be congenial to most 

 scientific men. If, consequently, the scientifically- 

 minded reader, particularly if he be naturalis tf-minded, 

 chooses to read the fourth essay first and the first 

 fourth, he will, I assure him, come out at the same 

 place, so far as the main thought is concerned, as 

 though he were to read them in the order in which they 

 stand. 



The arrangement adopted is that which seemed most 

 likely to gain the interest of the general reader. "Know 

 Thyself" certainly skirts along the edge of a field 

 which has interested many persons of diverse spiritual 

 bent in many ages even enters it here and there; so 

 I have assumed that it would be more likely to make 

 an initial appeal to non-scientific readers than would 

 "The Place of Description, Definition and Classifica- 

 tion in Philosophical Biology." What I have tried to 

 do is to so bait my hooks that I may catch the largest 

 number of readers possible for all the essays. 



I am grateful to Professor J. McKeen Cattell for 

 permission to republish "The Place of Description, 

 Definition and Classification in Philosophical Biology," 

 it having first appeared in The Scientific Monthly. 



The Publications Committee of the University of 

 Texas have kindly allowed me to reprint "Know Thy- 

 self," and I tender to these gentlemen my best thanks 

 for this permission. 



