COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



with a distinct consciousness of the adaptation 

 of the means .employed to the end proposed. 

 From being instinctive and irregular, their pro- 

 ceedings become ratiocinative and systematic ; 

 witness the whole history of industrial art. And, 

 as that history shows, the more intelligent and 

 coherent the course of proceeding, the less is 

 the time and effort wasted in vain experiment. 

 It is just the same in politics. We need to un- 

 derstand the conditions essential to progress, 

 and the direction which progress is taking, that 

 we may avoid the mischief entailed by stupid 

 and ignorant legislation, and secure the benefits 

 arising from legislation that is scientifically con- 

 ceived and put into operation with a distinct 

 consciousness of the ends to be secured. We 

 need sociology that we may not waste our ener- 

 gies and damage society in opposing the very 

 reforms which a little science might tell us that 

 the community requires and will have, sooner 

 or later, in spite of us. I do not mean to say 

 that a knowledge of the laws of history will 

 alone suffice to make us statesmen. Science and 

 art are two different things, and so are scientific 

 genius and practical genius. But if a Themis- 

 tokles or a Hildebrand were to arise among us, 

 he would be all the more useful for working in 

 conformity to scientific principles, instead of 

 trusting solely to his native sagacity. It is when 

 genius works with vision that it achieves its ut- 

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