W. B. DWIGHT. 63 



ions, therefore, of any specialist, must be determined, 

 not by the value of his opinions in his specialty, but by 

 his gifts and acquirements as a general philosopher. 



This tendency to dwarfing of the mind, in certain di- 

 rections, by the pursuit of a special line, is sometimes 

 manifested in its leading a scientist to despise other 

 lines of research, even though closely related to his own 

 and every way as important. This charge is not a 

 "man of straw,' 7 which I am setting up that I may have 

 a target. It is a sad and undoubted fact, and has its 

 illustrations, though rare, among those of the most emi- 

 nent scientific attainments. It is not only wrong in sen- 

 timent, but, as I could easily show, were it best to bring 

 forward detailed facts, it in some respects works posi- 

 tive evil to science. It is a duty that all specialists owe 

 to the welfare of science, in general, that they should 

 courteously and sincerely interest themselves in the 

 facts of kindred lines of study, at least, and cultivate a 

 close sympathy with their fellow-workers in such 

 branches and in their labors. 



Another evil tendency in scientific specialization I 

 bring forward with some diffidence, because, while I am 

 profoundly convinced of its existence and its mischief, I 

 believe it to be little apprehended by scientific men. 

 This evil tendency is, that certain scientific classifica- 

 tions, grounded solely on the convenience of specializa- 

 tion in work, may be, and are, wrongly treated as true 

 classifications in scientific philosophy and in the nature 

 of things. Thus is the truth perverted, and useless disa- 

 greements result. The great unseemly, unnatural con- 

 tentions between science and religion often spring from 

 this error. 



I will briefly illustrate this point by a single example, 

 not claiming, however, in this instance, to represent 

 views other than my own. 



When the naturalist or physicist tells us that natural 



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