218 



HABIT AND INTELLIGENCE. 



[chap. 



I believe 

 in meta- 

 physics 

 and 

 theology. 



Opposi- 

 tion of 

 literature 

 and 



history to 

 science. 



Nature of 

 historical 

 science. 



the facts of observation, or at least in facts external to tlie 

 mind. Even in psychology I have endeavoured, so far as 

 possible, to keep clear of metaphysical questions and 

 metaphysical methods. But this is not from any belief 

 that metaphysics are either impossible or worthless. On 

 the contrary, I believe both in metaphysics and in the- 

 ology as firmly as I believe in positive science ; it is 

 not from unbelief or indifference that I have said so 

 little about them in this work ; it is rather from a con- 

 viction of their transcendent importance that I have kept 

 for a future work the subject of their relation to positive 

 science.^ 



There is also a very large portion of human knowledge 

 which never can become scientific. Common sense is 

 right in opposing literature and history to science. The 

 essential matter in science is for knowledge to be reasoned 

 and formularized, and a fact that will not fit into any for- 

 mula simply stands over until the right formtila is found. 

 But in literature and history, the essential matter is the 

 display of human character ; and this fascinates and in- 

 structs us most when it defies all formulae most completely. 

 It is true — at least I believe so — that such a thing is pos- 

 sible as a science of history, and a most important science 

 it is. But, at the most, it can never be anything more than 

 a science of general tendencies in history; and between 

 understanding these and really knowing history, there is 

 exactly the same kind of difference that there is between 

 understanding psychology as a science and understanding 

 human nature. It is true as a general tendency that 

 distant and prosperous colonies will probably become in- 

 dependent, but it is not tlie less desirable to understand 

 the character and the life of Washington. It is true that 

 nations tend to become politically consolidated, but it is 

 not the less desirable to understand the character and the 

 life of Cavour. 



^ See Preface. 



