autobiography and selected essays-第11节

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better　than　their　benighted　ancestors。



If　this　talk　were　true；　I；　for　one；　should　not　greatly　care　to　toil

in　the　service　of　natural　knowledge。　　I　think　I　would　just　as　soon

be　quietly　chipping　my　own　flint　axe；　after　the　manner　of　my

forefathers　a　few　thousand　years　back；　as　be　troubled　with　the

endless　malady　of　thought　which　now　infests　us　all；　for　such

reward。　　But　I　venture　to　say　that　such　views　are　contrary　alike　to

reason　and　to　fact。　　Those　who　discourse　in　such　fashion　seem　to　me

to　be　so　intent　upon　trying　to　see　what　is　above　Nature；　or　what　is

behind　her；　that　they　are　blind　to　what　stares　them　in　the　face　in

her。



I　should　not　venture　thus　to　speak　strongly　if　my　justification

were　not　to　be　found　in　the　simplest　and　most　obvious　facts；if　it

needed　more　than　an　appeal　to　the　most　notorious　truths　to　justify

my　assertion；　that　the　improvement　of　natural　knowledge；　whatever

direction　it　has　taken；　and　however　low　the　aims　of　those　who　may

have　commenced　ithas　not　only　conferred　practical　benefits　on

men；　but；　in　so　doing；　has　effected　a　revolution　in　their

conceptions　of　the　universe　and　of　themselves；　and　has　profoundly

altered　their　modes　of　thinking　and　their　views　of　right　and　wrong。

I　say　that　natural　knowledge；　seeking　to　satisfy　natural　wants；　has

found　the　ideas　which　can　alone　still　spiritual　cravings。　　I　say

that　natural　knowledge；　in　desiring　to　ascertain　the　laws　of

comfort；　has　been　driven　to　discover　those　of　conduct；　and　to　lay

the　foundations　of　a　new　morality。





Let　us　take　these　points　separately；　and　first；　what　great　ideas

has　natural　knowledge　introduced　into　men's　minds？



I　cannot　but　think　that　the　foundations　of　all　natural　knowledge

were　laid　when　the　reason　of　man　first　came　face　to　face　with　the

facts　of　Nature；　when　the　savage　first　learned　that　the　fingers　of

one　hand　are　fewer　than　those　of　both；　that　it　is　shorter　to　cross

a　stream　than　to　head　it；　that　a　stone　stops　where　it　is　unless　it

be　moved；　and　that　it　drops　from　the　hand　which　lets　it　go；　that

light　and　heat　come　and　go　with　the　sun；　that　sticks　burn　away　in　a

fire；　that　plants　and　animals　grow　and　die；　that　if　he　struck　his

fellow　savage　a　blow　he　would　make　him　angry；　and　perhaps　get　a

blow　in　return；　while　if　he　offered　him　a　fruit　he　would　please

him；　and　perhaps　receive　a　fish　in　exchange。　　When　men　had　acquired

this　much　knowledge；　the　outlines；　rude　though　they　were；　of

mathematics；　of　physics；　of　chemistry；　of　biology；　of　moral；

economical；　and　political　science；　were　sketched。　　Nor　did　the　germ

of　religion　fail　when　science　began　to　bud。　　Listen　to　words　which；

though　new；　are　yet　three　thousand　years　old：





。　。　。　When　in　heaven　the　stars　about　the　moon

Look　beautiful；　when　all　the　winds　are　laid；

And　every　height　comes　out；　and　jutting　peak

And　valley；　and　the　immeasurable　heavens

Break　open　to　their　highest；　and　all　the　stars

Shine；　and　the　shepherd　gladdens　in　his　heart。＇44＇





If　the　half　savage　Greek　could　share　our　feelings　thus　far；　it　is

irrational　to　doubt　that　he　went　further；　to　find　as　we　do；　that

upon　that　brief　gladness　there　follows　a　certain　sorrow；the

little　light　of　awakened　human　intelligence　shines　so　mere　a　spark

amidst　the　abyss　of　the　unknown　and　unknowable；　seems　so

insufficient　to　do　more　than　illuminate　the　imperfections　that

cannot　be　remedied；　the　aspirations　that　cannot　be　realised；　of

man's　own　nature。　　But　in　this　sadness；　this　consciousness　of　the

limitation　of　man；　this　sense　of　an　open　secret　which　he　cannot

penetrate；　lies　the　essence　of　all　religion；　and　the　attempt　to

embody　it　in　the　forms　furnished　by　the　intellect　is　the　origin　of

the　higher　theologies。



Thus　it　seems　impossible　to　imagine　but　that　the　foundations　of　all

knowledgesecular　or　sacredwere　laid　when　intelligence　dawned；

though　the　superstructure　remained　for　long　ages　so　slight　and

feeble　as　to　be　compatible　with　the　existence　of　almost　any　general

view　respecting　the　mode　of　governance　of　the　universe。　　No　doubt；

from　the　first；　there　were　certain　phenomena　which；　to　the　rudest

mind；　presented　a　constancy　of　occurrence；　and　suggested　that　a

fixed　order　ruled；　at　any　rate；　among　them。　　I　doubt　if　the

grossest　of　Fetish　worshippers　ever　imagined　that　a　stone　must　have

a　god　within　it　to　make　it　fall；　or　that　a　fruit　had　a　god　within

it　to　make　it　taste　sweet。　　With　regard　to　such　matters　as　these；

it　is　hardly　questionable　that　mankind　from　the　first　took　strictly

positive　and　scientific　views。



But；　with　respect　to　all　the　less　familiar　occurrences　which

present　themselves；　uncultured　man；　no　doubt；　has　always　taken

himself　as　the　standard　of　comparison；　as　the　centre　and　measure　of

the　world；　nor　could　be　well　avoid　doing　so。　　And　finding　that　his

apparently　uncaused　will　has　a　powerful　effect　in　giving　rise　to

many　occurrences；　he　naturally　enough　ascribed　other　and　greater

events　to　other　and　greater　volitions　and　came　to　look　upon　the

world　and　all　that　therein　is；　as　the　product　of　the　volitions　of

persons　like　himself；　but　stronger；　and　capable　of　being　appeased

or　angered；　as　he　himself　might　be　soothed　or　irritated。　　Through

such　conceptions　of　the　plan　and　working　of　the　universe　all

mankind　have　passed；　or　are　passing。　　And　we　may　now　consider　what

has　been　the　effect　of　the　improvement　of　natural　knowledge　on　the

views　of　men　who　have　reached　this　stage；　and　who　have　begun　to

cultivate　natural　knowledge　with　no　desire　but　that　of　〃increasing

God's　honour　and　bettering　man's　estate。〃＇45＇



For　example；　what　could　seem　wiser；　from　a　mere　material　point　of

view；　more　innocent；　from　a　theological　one；　to　an　ancient　people；

than　that　they　should　learn　the　exact　succession　of　the　seasons；　as

warnings　for　their　husbandmen；　or　the　position　of　the　stars；　as

guides　to　their　rude　navigators？＇46＇　　But　what　has　grown　out　of　this

search　for　natural　knowledge　of　so　merely　useful　a　character？　　You

all　know　the　reply。　　Astronomy；which　of　all　sciences　has　filled

men's　minds　with　general　ideas　of　a　character　most　foreign　to　their

daily　experience；　and　has；　more　than　any　other；　rendered　it

impossible　for　them　to　accept　the　beliefs　of　their　fathers。

Astronomy；which　tells　them　that　this　so　vast　and　seemingly　solid

earth　is　but　an　atom　among　atoms；　whirling；　no　man　knows　whither；

through　illimitable　space；　which　demonstrates　that　what　we　call　the

peaceful　heaven　above　us；　is　but　that　space；　filled　by　an

infinitely　subtle　matter　whose　particles　are　seething　and　surging；

like　the　waves　of　an　angry　sea；　which　opens　up　to　us　infinite

regions　where　nothing　is　known；　or　ever　seems　to　have　been　known；

but　matter　and　force；　operating　according　to　rigid　rules；　which

leads　us　to　contemplate　phaenomena　the　very　nature　of　which

demonstrates　that　they　must　have　had　a　beginning；　and　that　they

must　have　an　end；　but　the　very　nature　of　which　also　proves　that　the

beginning　was；　to　our　conceptions　of　time；　infinitely　remote；　and

that　the　end　is　as　immeasurably　distant。



But　it　is　not　alone　those　who　pursue　astronomy　who　ask　for　bread

and　receive　ideas。　　What　more　harmless　than　the　attempt　to　lift　and

distribute　water　by　pumping　it；　what　more　absolutely　and　grossly

utilitarian？　　Yet　out　of　pumps　grew　the　discussions　about　Nature's

abhorrence　of　a　vacuum；　and　then　it　was　discovered　that　Nature　does

not　abhor　a　vacuum；　but　that　air　has　weight；　and　that　notion　paved

the　way　for　the　doctrine　that　all　matter　has　weight；　and　that　the

force　which　produces　weight　is　co…extensive　with　the　universe；in

short；　to　the　theory　of　universal　gravitation　and　endless　force。

While　learning　how　to　handle　gases　led　to　the　discovery　of　oxygen；

and　to　modern　chemistry；　and　to　the　notion　of　the　indestructibility

of　matter。



Again；　what　simpler；　or　more　absolutely　practical；　than　the　attempt

to　keep　the　axle　of　a　wheel　from　heating　when　the　wheel　turns　round

very　fast？　　How　useful　for　carters　and　gig　drivers　to　know

something　about　this；　and　how　good　were　it；　if　any　ingenious　person

would　find　out　the　cause　of　such　phaenomena；　and　thence　educe　a

general　remedy　for　them。　　Such　an　ingenious　person　was　Count

Rumford；＇47＇　and　he　and　his　successors　have　landed　us　in　the　theory

of　the　persistence；　or　indestructibility；　of　force。　　And　in　the

infinitely　minute；　as　in　the　infinitely　great；　the　seekers　after

natural　knowledge　of　the　kinds　called　physical　and　chemical；　have

everywhere　found　a　definite　order　and　succession　of　events　which

seem　never　to　be　infringed。



And　how　has　it　fared　with　〃Physick〃　and　Anatomy？　　Have　the

anatomist；　the　physiologist；　or　the　physician；　whose　business　it

has　been　to　devote　themselves　assiduously　to　that　eminently

practical　and　direct　end；　the　alleviation　of　the　sufferings　of

mankind；have　they　been　able　to　confine　their　vision　more

absolutely　to　the　strictly　useful？　　I　fear　they　are　the　worst

offe