SECTION 22 OBSERVATION. 295 



The concerted choice of the meridian of Greenwich felici- 

 tously illustrates this rule. 



(i) asks that the completest possible inductions or enumera- 

 tions should be aimed at. (Section XIII.) 



(/') requires the universal application of the comparative, 

 geographical, historical, generic, and evolutfbnary methods. 



(k) emphasises that each ascertained fact or series of facts 

 should be compared with other kindred facts regarding its 

 relative condition, position, or importance place, distribution, 

 number, size, age, utility, value, preferability, etc., according 

 to the table of Primary Categories in order to circumvent 

 marginal reasoning or unbalanced conclusions. 1 In matters 

 social this would mean that "circumstances frequently alter 

 cases". Perhaps the majority of serious personal and collective 

 differences in interpreting an individual's or a group's conduct 

 in daily life, or generally, may be said to be due to disregard- 

 ing unsuspected modifying circumstances. Grievous injustice 

 is thus often committed. This is even truer in relation to 

 matters pertaining to historical, ethnographical, and religious 

 problems. In this connection we may appositely adduce the 

 illuminating story of Confucius who, to the dismay of his dis- 

 ciples, counselled one inquirer, whom he knew, that he should 

 "act on first thoughts", and another immediately following him, 

 whom Confucius was also acquainted with, to "act on second 

 thoughts". 



(/) asks that we should ascertain (or, where in deduction or 

 application inspection is not possible, imagine or realise) the 

 nature of a simple or compound state or action (a substance, 

 a school), first in its total normal condition, and then with 

 regard to varying and exceptional circumstances. The confusion 

 in reform movements, as we have repeatedly stated, is thus 

 perceptibly due to envisaging only that part of the truth which 

 is temporarily and locally exciting interest. 



(m) demands that we should become habituated, more espe- 

 cially in social problems, to (1) gathering ALL the facts, both 

 pro and con, and objectively assessing their approximate value ; 

 (2) recognising that momentary and local feelings and views 



1 "He ventured to think that an educated person should be one who 

 knew what was evidence : when a thing was proved, and when it was not. 

 Another attribute of the educated is the ability to know how many different 

 interpretations could be borne by the same verbal proposition; what weight 

 was to be attached to different authorities. Then an educated person should 

 be able to say how far circumstances transformed propositions which were 

 excellent at certain times and places but irrelevant patchwork when applied 

 to all sorts of places. He had been led to believe that parallels -and ana- 

 logies from history were the most deceptive things in the world." (Report 

 of a portion of a speech by Lord Morley of Blackburn, delivered at the 

 opening of the John Morley Laboratory, of the University of Manchester, 

 Oct. 4, 1909.) "Male and female winged ants are strongly positively helio- 

 tropic, but as soon as they lose their wings their heliotropism ceases." 

 (J. Loeb, Forced Movements, p. 116.) 



