272 ON THE STUDY OF BIOLOGY x 



educators, Biology would seem to be a topic that 

 does not concern us at all. I propose to put 

 before you a few considerations with which I dare 

 say many will be familiar already, but which will 

 suffice to show not fully, because to demonstrate 

 this point fully would take a great many lectures 

 that there are some very good and substantial 

 reasons why it may be advisable that we should 

 know something about this branch of human 

 learning. 



I myself entirely agree with another sentiment 

 of the philosopher of Malmesbury, " that the scope 

 of all speculation is the performance of some action 

 or thing to be done," and I have not any very 

 great respect for, or interest in, mere knowing as 

 such. I judge of the value of human pursuits by 

 their bearing upon human interests ; in other 

 words, by their utility ; but I should like that we 

 should quite clearly understand what it is that 

 we mean by this word " utility." In an English- 

 man's mouth it generally means that by which we 

 get pudding or praise, or both. I have no doubt 

 that is one meaning of the word utility, but it by 

 no means includes all I mean by utility. I think 

 that knowledge of every kind is useful in propor- 

 tion as it tends to give people right ideas, which 

 are essential to the foundation of right practice, 

 and to remove wrong ideas, which are the no less 

 essential foundations and fertile mothers of every 

 description of error in practice. And inasmuch as, 



