decline of science in england-第3节

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　　NO。　3。

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REFLECTIONS　ON　THE　DECLINE　OF　SCIENCE　IN　ENGLAND；　AND　ON　SOME　OF　ITS　CAUSES。



INTRODUCTORY　REMARKS。

It　cannot　have　escaped　the　attention　of　those；　whose　acquirements　enable　them　to　judge；　and　who　have　had　opportunities　of　examining　the　state　of　science　in　other　countries；　that　in　England；　particularly　with　respect　to　the　more　difficult　and　abstract　sciences；　we　are　much　below　other　nations；　not　merely　of　equal　rank；　but　below　several　even　of　inferior　power。　　That　a　country；　eminently　distinguished　for　its　mechanical　and　manufacturing　ingenuity；　should　be　indifferent　to　the　progress　of　inquiries　which　form　the　highest　departments　of　that　knowledge　on　whose　more　elementary　truths　its　wealth　and　rank　depend；　is　a　fact　which　is　well　deserving　the　attention　of　those　who　shall　inquire　into　the　causes　that　influence　the　progress　of　nations。

To　trace　the　gradual　decline　of　mathematical；　and　with　it　of　the　highest　departments　of　physical　science；　from　the　days　of　Newton　to　the　present；　must　be　left　to　the　historian。　　It　is　not　within　the　province　of　one　who；　having　mixed　sufficiently　with　scientific　society　in　England　to　see　and　regret　the　weakness　of　some　of　its　greatest　ornaments；　and　to　see　through　and　deplore　the　conduct　of　its　pretended　friends；　offers　these　remarks；　with　the　hope　that　they　may　excite　discussion；with　the　conviction　that　discussion　is　the　firmest　ally　of　truth；and　with　the　confidence　that　nothing　but　the　full　expression　of　public　opinion　can　remove　the　evils　that　chill　the　enthusiasm；　and　cramp　the　energies　of　the　science　of　England。

The　causes　which　have　produced；　and　some　of　the　effects　which　have　resulted　from；　the　present　state　of　science　in　England；　are　so　mixed；　that　it　is　difficult　to　distinguish　accurately　between　them。　　I　shall；　therefore；　in　this　volume；　not　attempt　any　minute　discrimination；　but　rather　present　the　result　of　my　reflections　on　the　concomitant　circumstances　which　have　attended　the　decay；　and　at　the　conclusion　of　it；　shall　examine　some　of　the　suggestions　which　have　been　offered　for　the　advancement　of　British　science。



CHAPTER　I。

ON　THE　RECIPROCAL　INFLUENCE　OF　SCIENCE　AND　EDUCATION。

That　the　state　of　knowledge　in　any　country　will　exert　a　directive　influence　on　the　general　system　of　instruction　adopted　in　it；　is　a　principle　too　obvious　to　require　investigation。　　And　it　is　equally　certain　that　the　tastes　and　pursuits　of　our　manhood　will　bear　on　them　the　traces　of　the　earlier　impressions　of　our　education。　　It　is　therefore　not　unreasonable　to　suppose　that　some　portion　of　the　neglect　of　science　in　England；　may　be　attributed　to　the　system　of　education　we　pursue。　　A　young　man　passes　from　our　public　schools　to　the　universities；　ignorant　almost　of　the　elements　of　every　branch　of　useful　knowledge；　and　at　these　latter　establishments；　formed　originally　for　instructing　those　who　are　intended　for　the　clerical　profession；　classical　and　mathematical　pursuits　are　nearly　the　sole　objects　proposed　to　the　student's　ambition。

Much　has　been　done　at　one　of　our　universities　during　the　last　fifteen　years；　to　improve　the　system　of　study；　and　I　am　confident　that　there　is　no　one　connected　with　that　body；　who　will　not　do　me　the　justice　to　believe　that；　whatever　suggestions　I　may　venture　to　offer；　are　prompted　by　the　warmest　feelings　for　the　honour　and　the　increasing　prosperity　of　its　institutions。　　The　ties　which　connect　me　with　Cambridge　are　indeed　of　no　ordinary　kind。

Taking　it　then　for　granted　that　our　system　of　academical　education　ought　to　be　adapted　to　nearly　the　whole　of　the　aristocracy　of　the　country；　I　am　inclined　to　believe　that　whilst　the　modifications　I　should　propose　would　not　be　great　innovations　on　the　spirit　of　our　institutions；　they　would　contribute　materially　to　that　important　object。

It　will　be　readily　admitted；　that　a　degree　conferred　by　an　university；　ought　to　be　a　pledge　to　the　public　that　he　who　holds　it　possesses　a　certain　quantity　of　knowledge。　　The　progress　of　society　has　rendered　knowledge　far　more　various　in　its　kinds　than　it　used　to　be；　and　to　meet　this　variety　in　the　tastes　and　inclinations　of　those　who　come　to　us　for　instruction；　we　have；　besides　the　regular　lectures　to　which　all　must　attend；　other　sources　of　information　from　whence　the　students　may　acquire　sound　and　varied　knowledge　in　the　numerous　lectures　on　chemistry；　geology；　botany；　history；　&c。　　It　is　at　present　a　matter　of　option　with　the　student；　which；　and　how　many　of　these　courses　he　shall　attend；　and　such　it　should　still　remain。　　All　that　it　would　be　necessary　to　add　would　be；　that　previously　to　taking　his　degree；　each　person　should　be　examined　by　those　Professors；　whose　lectures　he　had　attended。　　The　pupils　should　then　be　arranged　in　two　classes；　according　to　their　merits；　and　the　names　included　in　these　classes　should　be　printed。　　I　would　then　propose　that　no　young　man；　except　his　name　was　found　amongst　the　〃List　of　Honours；〃　should　be　allowed　to　take　his　degree；　unless　he　had　been　placed　in　the　first　class　of　some　one　at　least　of　the　courses　given　by　the　professors。　　But　it　should　still　be　imperative　upon　the　student　to　possess　such　mathematical　knowledge　as　we　usually　require。　　If　he　had　attained　the　first　rank　in　several　of　these　examinations；　it　is　obvious　that　we　should　run　no　hazard　in　a　little　relaxing：　　the　strictness　of　his　mathematical　trial。

If　it　should　be　thought　preferable；　the　sciences　might　be　grouped；　and　the　following　subjects　be　taken　together：

Modern　History。　Laws　of　England。　Civil　Law。

Political　Economy。　Applications　of　Science　to　Arts　and　Manufactures。

Chemistry。　Mineralogy。　Geology。

Zoology；　including　Physiology　and　Comparative　Anatomy。　Botany；　including　Vegetable　Physiology　and　Anatomy。

One　of　the　great　advantages　of　such　a　system　would　be；　that　no　young　person　would　have　an　excuse　for　not　studying；　by　stating；　as　is　most　frequently　done；　that　the　only　pursuits　followed　at　Cambridge；　classics　and　mathematics；　are　not　adapted　either　to　his　taste；　or　to　the　wants　of　his　after　life。　　His　friends　and　relatives　would　then　reasonably　expect　every　student　to　have　acquired　distinction　in　SOME　pursuit。　　If　it　should　be　feared　that　this　plan　would　lead　to　too　great　a　diversity　of　pursuits　in　the　same　individual；　a　limitation　might　be　placed　upon　the　number　of　examinations　into　which　the　same　person　might　be　permitted　to　enter。　　It　might　also　be　desirable　not　to　restrict　the　whole　of　these　examinations　to　the　third　year；　but　to　allow　the　student　to　enter　on　some　portion　of　them　in　the　first　or　second　year；　if　he　should　prefer　it。

By　such　an　arrangement；　which　would　scarcely　interfere　seriously　with　our　other　examinations；　we　should；　I　think；　be　enabled　effectually　to　keep　pace　with　the　wants　of　society；　and　retaining　fully　our　power　and　our　right　to　direct　the　　studies　of　those　who　are　intended　for　the　church；　as　well　as　of　those　who　aspire　to　the　various　offices　connected　with　our　academical　institutions；　we　should；　at　the　same　time；　open　a　field　of　honourable　ambition　to　multitudes；　who；　from　the　exclusive　nature　of　our　present　studies；　leave　us　with　but　a　very　limited　addition　to　their　stock　of　knowledge。

Much　more　might　be　said　on　a　subject　so　important　to　the　interests　of　the　country；　as　well　as　of　our　university；　but　my　wish　is　merely　to　open　it　for　our　own　consideration　and　discussion。　　We　have　already　done　so　much　for　the　improvement　of　our　system　of　instruction；　that　public　opinion　will　not　reproach　us　for　any　unwillingness　to　alter。　　It　is　our　first　duty　to　be　well　satisfied　that　we　can　improve：　　such　alterations　　ought　only　to　be　the　result　of　a　most　mature　consideration；　and　of　a　free　interchange　of　sentiments　on　the　subject；　in　order　that　we　may　condense　upon　the　question　the　accumulated　judgment　of　many　minds。

It　is　in　some　measure　to　be　attributed　to　the　defects　of　our　system　of　education；　that　scientific　knowledge　scarcely　exists　amongst　the　higher　classes　of　society。　　The　discussions　in　the　Houses　of　Lords　or　of　Commons；　which　arise　on　the　occurrence　of　any　subjects　connected　with　science；　sufficiently　prove　this　fact；　which；　if　I　had　consulted　the　extremely　limited　nature　of　my　　personal　experience；　I　should；　perhaps；　have　doubted。



CHAPTER　II。

OF　THE　INDUCEMENTS　TO　INDIVIDUALS　TO　CULTIVATE　SCIENCE。

Interest　or　inclination　form　the　primary　and　ruling　motives　in　this　matter：　　and　both　these　exert　greater　or　less　proportionate　influence　in　each　of　the　respective　cases　to　be　examined。


SECTION　1。

PROFESSIONAL　IMPULSES。

A　large　portion　of　those　who　are　impelled　by　ambition　or　necessity　to　advance　themselves　in　the　world；　make　choice　of　some　profession　in　which　they　imagine　their　talents　likely　to　be　rewarded　with　success；　and　there　are　peculiar　advantages　resulting　to　each　from　this　classification　of　society　into　professions。　　The　ESPRIT　DE　CORPS　frequently　overpowers　the　jealousy　which　exists　between　individuals；　and　pushes　on　to　advantageous　situations　some　of　the　more　fortunate　of　the　profession；　whilst；　on　the　other　hand；　any　injury　or　insult　offered　to　the　weakest；　is　redressed　or　resented　by　the　whole　body。　　There　are　other　advantages　which　are　perhaps　of　more　importance　to　the　public。　The　numbers　which