L] SCIENCE AND CULTURE. 7 



and, what is worse, that the continual devotion to 

 scientific studies tends to generate a narrow and 

 bigoted belief in the applicability of scientific methods 

 to the search after truth of all kinds. How frequently 

 one has reason to observe that no reply to a trouble- 

 some argument tells so well as calling its author a 

 " mere scientific specialist." And, as I am afraid it 

 is not permissible to speak of this form of opposition 

 to scientific education in the past tense ; may we not 

 expect to be told that this, not only omission, but 

 prohibition, of " mere literary instruction and educa- 

 tion" is a patent example of scientific narrow- 

 mindedness ? 



I am not acquainted with Sir Josiah Mason's 

 reasons for the action which he has taken ; but if, as 

 I apprehend is the case, he refers to the ordinary class- 

 ical course of our schools and universities by the 

 name of "mere literary instruction and education," 

 I venture to offer sundry reasons of my own in sup- 

 port of that action. 



For I hold very strongly by two convictions 

 The first is, that neither the discipline nor the subject- 

 matter of classical education is of such direct value to 

 the student of physical science as to justify the ex- 

 penditure of valuable time upon either ; and the second 

 is, that for the purpose of attaining real culture, an 

 exclusively scientific education is at least as effectual 

 as an exclusively literary education. 



I need hardly point out to you that these opinions, 

 especially the latter, are diametrically opposed to 

 those of the great majority of educated Englishmen, 



