COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



bearings upon human welfare ; yet, although 

 men have studied social phenomena since the 

 days of Plato, they have but lately arrived at 

 any scientific generalizations concerning them. 

 The daily changes of weather are more ob- 

 viously concerned with human interests than 

 the geological succession of extinct animals 

 and vegetables ; but our scientific knowledge 

 of palaeontology, though unsatisfactory enough, 

 is yet far more advanced than our scientific 

 knowledge of meteorology. No doubt men 

 will soonest endeavour to understand the phe- 

 nomena which most intimately concern them ; 

 but the order in which they will come to un- 

 derstand them will depend upon the simplicity, 

 the concreteness, the conspicuousness, and the 

 frequency of the phenomena, and upon the 

 number and perfection of the implements of 

 investigation which are at command. Indeed, 

 from one point of view, it may be urged that 

 direct complicity with human interests is often 

 a hindrance to the scientific investigation of 

 phenomena. Doubtless the disinterested calm- 

 ness with which remote mathematical and physi- 

 cal inquiries are prosecuted is one secret of their 

 success. As Hobbes remarked, with keen sar- 

 casm, " even the axioms of geometry would be 

 disputed if men's passions were concerned with 

 them." And does not daily experience teach 

 us the difficulty of getting our legislators to 



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