Scientific Lectures. 259 



SCIENTIFIC LECTURE-Y. 



THE CONNECTION OF NATUKAL SCIENCE AND 

 MENTAL PHILOSOPHY. 



By Professor J. Bascom, of Williams Coi-lege, Mass. 



Judge Charles P. Daly, Yice-Presideiit, introduced Prof. Bascom, 

 who spoke substantially as follows : 



I am obliged to you, ladies and gentlemen, for this opportunity of 

 speaking in defense of metaphysics. It has been a long time since 

 mental philosophy has stood in the van in the advance of knowledge; 

 a long time since the great intellects of the world have given them- 

 selves to metaphysics ; a long time since the pre-eminence of Grecian 

 philosophers, or since students by thousands gathered at the feet of 

 Abelard. The progress in knowledge has been much like the 

 advance of population over the globe. We have taken possession of 

 continent after continent, and while we have entered upon one we 

 have always lost some ground in that from which we have departed. 

 We have not succeeded in taking hold of the new without in a 

 measure losing our grasp of the old. The field of knowledge on 

 which we are now entering, whereon we are laying down our land- 

 marks of ownership and possession, is especially that of the natural 

 sciences, that of the external and physical world ; and in connection 

 with this we have lost some hold on the spiritual and intellectual 

 world. It has been thought that the inquiries of metaphysics have 

 been unprofitable, have been untrustworthy in the results reached, 

 and, above all, that they have not been productive, that they have 

 not added to the wealth and progress the wares and warehouses of 

 commerce of things which are the great characteristics, the striking 

 features of our age. It has been felt that while the mind may indeed 

 have been quickened somewhat by these inquiries that the cold, clear, 

 judicious judgment with which we thread the ways of economy have 

 been lost in connection with them. Perhaps there is something of 



