G. K. Gilbei't — Inculcation of Scientific Method. 285 



amount of training in method, while to him who proposes a 

 career of investigation, there is an equal necessity for a large 

 amount of positive knowledge. 



Before proceeding to amplify these propositions it seems 

 best to give consideration to the essential nature of scientific 

 research — to restate, for the sake of a common understanding, 

 the process by which science advances. 



Scientific research consists of the observation of phenomena 

 and the discovery of their relations. Scientific observation is 

 not sharply distinguished from other observation. It may even 

 be doubted whether there is such a thing as unscientific obser- 

 vation. If there is a valid distinction, it probably rests on the 

 two following characters. Scientific observation, or the obser- 

 vation of the investigator, endeavors to discriminate the phe- 

 nomena observed from the observer's inference in regard to 

 them, and to record the phenomena pure and simple. I say 

 " endeavors," for in my judgment he does not ordinarily succeed. 

 His failure is primarily due to subjective conditions ; percep- 

 tion and inference are so intimately associated that a body of 

 inferences has become incorporated in the constitution of the 

 mind. And the record of an untainted fact is obstructed not 

 only directly by the constitution of the mind, but indirectly 

 through the constitution of language, the creature and imitator 

 of the mind. But while the investigator does not succeed in 

 his effort to obtain pure facts, his effort creates a tendency, and 

 that tendency gives scientific observation and its record a dis- 

 tinctive character. 



Scientific observation is moreover selective and concentrated. 

 It does not gather facts indiscriminately, but, recognizing their 

 classification, it seeks new facts that will augment established 

 groups. The investigator, by restricting his observation to a 

 limited number of groups of phenomena, is enabled to concen- 

 trate his attention, and thus sharpens his vision for the detec- 

 tion of matters that are unnoticed by the ordinary observer. 



The superficial relations of phenomena are discovered by in- 

 duction — by the grouping of facts in accordance with their 

 conspicuous common characters — or, in other words, by em- 

 piric classification. Such empiric classification is a preliminary 

 work in all sciences. It is a convenient and temporary sorting 

 of our knowledge, and with the increase of knowledge it is 

 perpetually remodeled. But it is more than a mere conven- 

 ience ; it is a stepping-stone to a logical, or rational, or, more 

 strictly, relational classification ; for it leads to the understand- 

 ing of those deeper relations which constitute the order of 

 nature. 



Phenomena are arranged in chains of necessary sequence. 

 In such a chain each link is the necessary consequent of that 



