TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION L. 611 
So writes Professor Bury, the Professor of Modern History in the University 
of Cambridge, in his recently published ‘ History of Freedom of Thought,’ one 
of the most charming historical essays ever put together. Again, he remarks :— 
‘Tf the history of civilisation has any lesson to teach, it is this: There is 
one supreme condition of mental and moral progress which it is completely 
within the power of man himself to secure and that is perfect liberty of 
thought and discussion. The establishment of this liberty may be considered 
the most valuable achievement of modern civilisation and as a condition of 
social progress it should be deemed fundamental.’ 
Science is come into being and has prospered only since freedom of thought 
was secured: on no other terms can it be. It is well that we should bear this 
in mind. The growth of numbers and of democracy may well involve a re- 
striction of freedom in all directions—none are so intolerant as the ignorant. 
If in Science, to-day, we have something unknown to former civilisations, 
what is its influence to be on the future of the world, in particular on the 
future of the white people? If we are not to suffer the rise and fall which all 
previous civilisations have passed through—rather let me say, if the period of 
our fall is to be retarded beyond the period our forerunners enjoyed, it will be 
solely because we wield and use the powers Science has put into our hands : not 
so much those of abstract science but the broad wisdom which the proper 
cultivation of Science should confer; hence it is that I desire to urge the 
absolute importance of giving, through Science, a place to the cultivation of 
wisdom in the State and therefore in education. 
Clearly, two new forces are at work in the world : not Science alone but also 
a broad and altruistic Socialism, both the outcome of the intellectual freedom 
man has acquired since the deposition of the Churches. The one is eradually 
leading us to base our actions upon knowledge and to be practical through the 
use of theory; the other is leading us gradually, though slowly, to have con- 
sideration for one another, to recognise how helpless are the majority, how 
greatly they stand in need of the guidance of the few who are capable of 
leading. But we shall need to order our Socialism by Science to make it a wise 
Socialism. The signs are only too numerous that a wave of political despotism 
may come over us. Hither, as time goes on, Science will be more and more of 
service in guiding the social machine—or that machine will perish, from the very 
complexity of its organisation and the inability of the units to understand their 
place, to understand the need of subordinating their individual inclinations to 
communal interests; most important of ail, to understand their inability to 
recognise and require competent leadership—for Science is aristocratic in its 
tendencies : indeed, I shall claim that real Science—Wisdom—is for the very few. 
The arrogance of ignorance at the present day leads too many to brush all 
such considerations aside. It is only too rarely that thinking men have the 
courage to pronounce judgment as clearly as did recently a distinguished 
dignitary of the Church, Dr. Inge, the Dean of St. Paul’s, the cathedral of our 
greatest city, in a strikingly outspoken course of lectures to women. The warning 
he gave is worth pondering over :— 
‘Democracy is perhaps the silliest of all fetishes that are seriously wor- 
shipped among us. The method of counting heads, instead of breaking them, 
is no doubt convenient as a rough and ready test of strength: since government 
must rest mainly on force. It is also at least arguable that democracy is, at 
present, a good instrument for procuring social justice and for educating citizens 
in civic duty. But that is really all that anyone has a right to say in its 
favour. . . . There is absolutely no guarantee, in the nature of things, that the 
decision of the majority will be either wise or just; and what is neither wise 
nor just ought not to be done. This is a somewhat elementary truism to 
enunciate to an intelligent audience; but there stands the ridiculous fetish 
grinning in our faces and the whole nation burns incense before it.’ 
The message of Science must be to the same effect. If the Christian spirit 
prevail, Science and Socialism must ultimately go hand in hand—but true 
Socialism, not the spurious article advocated by the limited intelligence of the 
political intriguer of the day who leaves altogether out of account human nature 
RR2 
