COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



of the sciences induction plays a quite subordi- 

 nate part. Mathematics, mechanics and astro- 

 nomy (so far, at least, as relates to the dynamics 

 of the solar system) are almost purely deductive 

 sciences, and in the chief problems of biology 

 and political economy deduction is predominant. 

 It was chiefly through deduction that Newton 

 reached the law of gravitation, that Harvey dis- 

 covered the circulation of the blood, that Goethe 

 arrived at his grand generalizations concerning 

 animal and vegetal morphology, and that Adam 

 Smith obtained the fundamental principles of 

 political economy. These facts are well known 

 to Bacon's adversaries, who remind us also that, 

 unlike Descartes, he never made any discover- 

 ies himself, and who further assert, with some 

 exaggeration, that he never even worked out a 

 scheme of induction which could be adopted 

 and utilized by subsequent thinkers. It is true 

 that Bacon never mastered any one science, as 

 Descartes and Leibnitz mastered mathematics. 

 Knowing little of mathematics he underrated 

 the deductive method, which moreover had not 

 yet been illustrated by the splendid triumphs 

 of astronomy and physiology, and which to his 

 mind was chiefly exemplified in what seemed to 

 him the barren word-battles of the scholastic 

 metaphysicians. It is also true that Bacon did 

 not construct a thorough system of inductive 

 logic whereby to illustrate his method. That 

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