A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



upon which they were based are now, for the most 

 part, susceptible of other interpretations; but the old 

 interpretations have precedent and prejudice back of 

 them, and they represent ideas that are more difficult 

 than almost any others to eradicate. Always, and 

 everywhere, superstitions based upon unwarranted 

 early scientific deductions have been the most im- 

 placable foes to the progress of science. Men have 

 built systems of philosophy around their conception of 

 anthropomorphic deities; they have linked to these 

 systems of philosophy the allied conception of the 

 immutability of man's spirit, and they have asked that 

 scientific progress should stop short at the brink of 

 these systems of philosophy and accept their dictates 

 as final. Yet there is not to-day in existence, and 

 there never has been, one jot of scientific evidence 

 for the existence of these intangible anthropomorphic 

 powers back of nature that is not susceptible of scien- 

 tific challenge and of more logical interpretation. In 

 despite of which the superstitious beliefs are still as 

 firmly fixed in the minds of a large majority of our race 

 as they were in the mind of our prehistoric ancestor. 

 The fact of this baleful heritage must not be forgotten 

 in estimating the debt of gratitude which historic man 

 owes to his barbaric predecessor. 



