64 
The Course of Nature . 
[January, 
IV. THE COURSE OF NATURE* 
By Prof. Simon Newcomb. 
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f N imposing on its retiring President the duty of delivering 
an Address, the constitution of this Society sets no 
limits to his choice of a theme. Both in these and in 
the corresponding addresses delivered before the sister 
society of Great Britain, it has not been uncommon for the 
speaker to choose for his subject the general progress of 
scientific research during the year. This course is now less 
common than formerly, because, owing to the immensity of 
the field of research, it has become impossible for any ordi- 
nary mind to follow its progress in all its branches. I have 
thought, therefore, that a higher interest would attach to a 
theme chosen from the field of modern scientific thought, 
and, by a process in which I have been the follower rather 
than the leader of my own contemplations, I have been led 
to present to you some thoughts on the Course of Nature as 
seen in the light of modern scientific and philosophic 
research. Though I have but a single central idea to pre- 
sent to you, namely, that of the simplicity and universality 
of the Laws of Nature, yet so great is the confusion of 
thought which prevails on the question, What are the Laws 
of Nature ? that it is necessary to approach my idea from 
more than one standpoint, and to illustrate it in more than 
one way. 
We all know that the history of the Caucasian race, 
during the last three centuries, has been marked by a kind 
of intellectual development so entirely without precedent 
that some might call it miraculous ; in fac5t, by such a deve- 
lopment of the understanding of the course of nature as has 
revolutionised human society in many of its phases. You 
also know that this development has been marked by fre- 
quent collisions of opinion between the investigators of the 
material manifestations of nature on the one side (if I may 
be allowed to use the expression), and philosophers and the- 
ologians on the other, respecting the true theory of the 
course of nature. My desire in entering this field is to aCt 
the part of the peacemaker rather than that of a combatant, 
not sustaining any other propositions than those which are 
* An Address delivered before the American Association for the Advance- 
ment of Science, St. Louis, August 22, 1878. Communicated by the author. 
