608 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. I. No. 22. 



less in itself; not only is it worthless, but 

 it is excessively expensive.' I am sure Mr. 

 Bryce * would agree with everything I have 

 said upon this point, and everything I am 

 going to say upon it — for I shall not go 

 into controversial matter — because, while I 

 think that those who object to technical 

 education have their justification, it yet re- 

 mains true that if you include, as you ought 

 to include, within the term technical educa- 

 tion the really scientific instruction in the 

 way of turning scientific discoveries to prac- 

 tical account, if that is what you mean — 

 and it is what you ought to mean by tech- 

 nical education — then there is nothing of 

 which England is at this moment in greater 

 need. There is nothing which, if she, in her 

 folly, determines to neglect, will more con- 

 duce to the success of her rivals in the 

 markets of the world, and to her inevitable 

 abdication of the position of commercial 

 supremacy which she has hitherto held." 



"I do not deny that, if manufactures and 

 commerce have an immense amount to gain 

 from theoretical investigations, on the other 

 hand — as everybody will admit that has 

 even the most cursory acquaintance, let us 

 say, with the history of the discoveries in 

 electricity and magnetism — pure science it- 

 self has an enormous amount to gain from 

 industrial development. "While both these 

 things are true, I am the last person to deny 

 that it is a poor end, a poor object, for a 

 man of science to look forward to, merely 

 to make money for himself or for other 

 people. After all, while the effect of science 

 on the world is almost incalculable, that 

 effect can only be gained in the future, as it 

 has only been gained in the past, by men 

 of science pursuing knowledge for the sake 

 of knowledge, and for the sake of knowledge 

 alone ; and if I thought that by anything 

 that had di'opped from me to-night I had 

 given ground for the idea that I looked at 



* The Rt. Hon. James Bryce, Presiclent of the 

 Board of Trade. 



science from what is commonlj^ called the 

 strictly utilitarian standpoint^ — that I meas- 

 ured its triumphs by the number of success-^ 

 fal companies it had succeeded in starting, 

 or in the amount of dividends which it gave 

 to the capitalist, or even by the amount of 

 additional comfort which it gave to the 

 masses of the population — I should greatly 

 understate my thought ; but I know this 

 great Society, while it has in view these 

 useful objects, still puts first of all the pur- 

 suit of truth, which is the goddess to which 

 every man of science owes his devotion. 

 And truth, not profit, must necessarily be 

 the motto of every body of scientific men 

 who desire to be remembered by posterity 

 for their discoveries. These things can 

 only be done through a disinterested mo- 

 tive, and it is because I believe that so- 

 cieties like the great Society I am address- 

 ing do more than any other organization to 

 attain that great object : because I think 

 they bring together men engaged in con- 

 genial pursuits; because the stimulus of 

 mind brought close to mind, and the hon- 

 orable ambitions and the honorable rival- 

 ries of men engaged in the same great task 

 must lead to an enormous extension of our 

 knowledge of the secrets of Nature ; that I, 

 as an outsider, not belonging to j^our body, 

 do, in the name of a public for which I 

 venture to speak, wish you all success and 

 wish you all prospei-ity." W. TV. R. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 

 haeckel's momsm. 



Editor of Science : In reponse to your 

 kind note of recent date concerning Haeck- 

 le's ' Monistic Creed,' I may state that I 

 find myself in the fullest sympathy with 

 the views expressed by Professor Brooks. 



I majr perhaps be permitted to add the 

 following : — 



These uses of man, as of other animals, 

 yield certain impressions which so far as 

 they go are of the nature of truth. "We 



