PHILOSOPHY AS AN ORGANON 



in the prosecution of all the sciences, but to be 

 learned only by practice. As philosophy, re- 

 garded as a general conception of the universe, 

 has hitherto like the mistletoe had its roots in 

 the air, but has now been brought down and se- 

 curely planted in the fertile soil of scientific know- 

 ledge, so let us no longer permit logic to remain 

 in isolation, feeding upon airy nothings, but let 

 us bring it down and nourish it with scientific 

 methods. As we learn to live rightly, not by 

 dogmatic instruction, but by the assiduous prac- 

 tice of right living, as we learn to speak pro- 

 perly and to write forcibly by practice and 

 not by theory, so let us gain control of the 

 various instruments for investigating Nature 

 by the study of the several sciences in which 

 those instruments come into play. To become 

 skilful in the use of deduction, let us study 

 mathematics, especially in its direct applications 

 to the solution of problems in astronomy and 

 physics. If we would become accurate observ- 

 ers, and would enable ourselves properly to 

 estimate the value of experimental reasoning, 

 let us study those inductive sciences which ex- 

 hibit practically the essential requisites of an 

 accurate observation or a conclusive experiment. 

 Even so, if we would attain literary excellence, 

 let us not fritter away our time in puerile at- 

 tempts to imitate the favourite modes of expres- 

 sion of admired writers, but let us rather aim 



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