THE STUDY OF BIOLOGY. 17 



the ways of humanity and the acts of lower life are too close to 

 admit a doubt of their intimate relationship. Spencer is stating no 

 mythical idea but a solid fact, when he remarks that " the Science 

 of Life yields to the Science of Society certain great generalisations, 

 without which there can be no Science of Society at all." Nor is 

 the statement to be viewed as aught else than reasonable, that " all 

 social actions being determined by the actions of individuals, and 

 all actions of individuals being vital actions that conform to the 

 laws of life at large, a rational interpretation of social actions implies 

 knowledge of the laws of life." 



Such a subject, however the connexus between biology and 

 human interests would require a volume to itself; and at present 

 I merely mention the fact of such relationship to impress the idea 

 that the future of biology will undoubtedly include in its scope 

 much of human affairs that now appears wholly at a distance from 

 the interests of animals and plants at large. Nor have I the irten- 

 tion, at present, of discussing the relations of biology to religion, or 

 of trenching even cursorily upon those modifications in religious 

 opinion and in theological reasoning which, of all the sciences, 

 biology has been most plainly instrumental in inaugurating and 

 fostering. At present, therefore, we may simply endeavour to dis- 

 cover how biology is to be studied, to what that study leads, and 

 the nature and direction of the paths wherein the modem biologist 

 pursues his research. If, according to Spencer, "preparation in 

 biology" is the great necessity for a true knowledge of the laws 

 which govern human society, so, for us, preparation in the methods 

 of the science of life is a needful preliminary for an understanding 

 of the influence which modern biology has exerted upon men's ideas 

 concerning the order and origin of living nature. 



The study of the standpoints of biology may be fitly com- 

 menced by a reference to the manner in which the investigations 

 of the biologist into the history of animals and plants are carried on. 

 It is the province of science to be exact ; it is the first and highest 

 duty of its professors to secure correctness in their methods of dis- 

 covering facts. In science we are not at liberty to begin anywhere, 

 as, in truth, our researches, if pursued completely, will terminate in 

 a definite fashion. Organised method is, in short, the great essen- 

 tial for scientific success in the pursuit and discovery of truth ; and 

 it is in his adoption of such methods that the scientific investigator 

 differs most notably from the student in many other departments 

 of thought. We may note in passing that another and equally 

 important characteristic of scientific investigation exists in the fact 

 that, having no prejudices to defend or prepossessions to consult, 

 the man of science stands in no dread of the results to which he 

 may be led, and is placed at no disadvantage when he replaces 



