autobiography and selected essays-第22节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



only　a　few　of　our　illustrious　writersI　say；　if　he　cannot　get　it

out　of　those　writers　he　cannot　get　it　out　of　anything；　and　I　would

assuredly　devote　a　very　large　portion　of　the　time　of　every　English

child　to　the　careful　study　of　the　models　of　English　writing　of　such

varied　and　wonderful　kind　as　we　possess；　and；　what　is　still　more

important　and　still　more　neglected；　the　habit　of　using　that　language

with　precision；　with　force；　and　with　art。　　I　fancy　we　are　almost　the

only　nation　in　the　world　who　seem　to　think　that　composition　comes

by　nature。　　The　French　attend　to　their　own　language；　the　Germans

study　theirs；　but　Englishmen　do　not　seem　to　think　it　is　worth　their

while。　　Nor　would　I　fail　to　include；　in　the　course　of　study　I　am

sketching；　translations　of　all　the　best　works　of　antiquity；　or　of

the　modern　world。　　It　is　a　very　desirable　thing　to　read　Homer　in

Greek；　but　if　you　don't　happen　to　know　Greek；　the　next　best　thing

we　can　do　is　to　read　as　good　a　translation　of　it　as　we　have

recently　been　furnished　with　in　prose。＇83＇　　You　won't　get　all　you

would　get　from　the　original；　but　you　may　get　a　great　deal；　and　to

refuse　to　know　this　great　deal　because　you　cannot　get　all；　seems　to

be　as　sensible　as　for　a　hungry　man　to　refuse　bread　because　he　cannot

get　partridge。　　Finally；　I　would　add　instruction　in　either　music　or

painting；　or；　if　the　child　should　be　so　unhappy；　as　sometimes

happens；　as　to　have　no　faculty　for　either　of　those；　and　no

possibility　of　doing　anything　in　any　artistic　sense　with　them；　then

I　would　see　what　could　be　done　with　literature　alone；　but　I　would

provide；　in　the　fullest　sense；　for　the　development　of　the　aesthetic

side　of　the　mind。　　In　my　judgment；　those　are　all　the　essentials　of

education　for　an　English　child。　　With　that　outfit；　such　as　it　might

be　made　in　the　time　given　to　education　which　is　within　the　reach　of

nine…tenths　of　the　populationwith　that　outfit；　an　Englishman；

within　the　limits　of　English　life；　is　fitted　to　go　anywhere；　to

occupy　the　highest　positions；　to　fill　the　highest　offices　of　the

State；　and　to　become　distinguished　in　practical　pursuits；　in

science；　or　in　art。　　For；　if　he　have　the　opportunity　to　learn　all

those　things；　and　have　his　mind　disciplined　in　the　various

directions　the　teaching　of　those　topics　would　have　necessitated；

then；　assuredly；　he　will　be　able　to　pick　up；　on　his　road　through

life；　all　the　rest　of　the　intellectual　baggage　he　wants。



If　the　educational　time　at　our　disposition　were　sufficient；　there

are　one　or　two　things　I　would　add　to　those　I　have　just　now　called

the　essentials；　and　perhaps　you　will　be　surprised　to　hear；　though　I

hope　you　will　not；　that　I　should　add；　not　more　science；　but　one；

or；　if　possible；　two　languages。　　The　knowledge　of　some　other

language　than　one's　own　is；　in　fact；　of　singular　intellectual

value。　　Many　of　the　faults　and　mistakes　of　the　ancient　philosophers

are　traceable　to　the　fact　that　they　knew　no　language　but　their　own；

and　were　often　led　into　confusing　the　symbol　with　the　thought　which

it　embodied。　　I　think　it　is　Locke　＇84＇　who　says　that　one…half　of　the

mistakes　of　philosophers　have　arisen　from　questions　about　words；

and　one　of　the　safest　ways　of　delivering　yourself　from　the　bondage

of　words　is；　to　know　how　ideas　look　in　words　to　which　you　are　not

accustomed。　　That　is　one　reason　for　the　study　of　language；　another

reason　is；　that　it　opens　new　fields　in　art　and　in　science。　　Another

is　the　practical　value　of　such　knowledge；　and　yet　another　is　this；

that　if　your　languages　are　properly　chosen；　from　the　time　of

learning　the　additional　languages　you　will　know　your　own　language

better　than　ever　you　did。　　So；　I　say；　if　the　time　given　to

education　permits；　add　Latin　and　German。　　Latin；　because　it　is　the

key　to　nearly　one…half　of　English　and　to　all　the　Romance　languages；

and　German；　because　it　is　the　key　to　almost　all　the　remainder　of

English；　and　helps　you　to　understand　a　race　from　whom　most　of　us

have　sprung；　and　who　have　a　character　and　a　literature　of　a　fateful

force　in　the　history　of　the　world；　such　as　probably　has　been

allotted　to　those　of　no　other　people；　except　the　Jews；　the　Greeks；

and　ourselves。　　Beyond　these；　the　essential　and　the　eminently

desirable　elements　of　all　education；　let　each　man　take　up　his

special　linethe　historian　devote　himself　to　his　history；　the　man

of　science　to　his　science；　the　man　of　letters　to　his　culture　of

that　kind；　and　the　artist　to　his　special　pursuit。





Bacon　has　prefaced　some　of　his　works　with　no　more　than　this：

Franciscus　Bacon　sic　cogitavit；＇85＇　let　〃sic　cogitavi〃　be　the

epilogue　to　what　I　have　ventured　to　address　to　you　to…night。







THE　METHOD　OF　SCIENTIFIC　INVESTIGATION　＇86＇





The　method　of　scientific　investigation　is　nothing　but　the

expression　of　the　necessary　mode　of　working　of　the　human　mind。　　It

is　simply　the　mode　at　which　all　phenomena　are　reasoned　about；

rendered　precise　and　exact。　　There　is　no　more　difference；　but　there

is　just　the　same　kind　of　difference；　between　the　mental　operations

of　a　man　of　science　and　those　of　an　ordinary　person；　as　there　is

between　the　operations　and　methods　of　a　baker　or　of　a　butcher

weighing　out　his　goods　in　common　scales；　and　the　operations　of　a

chemist　in　performing　a　difficult　and　complex　analysis　by　means　of

his　balance　and　finely　graduated　weights。　　It　is　not　that　the

action　of　the　scales　in　the　one　case；　and　the　balance　in　the　other；

differ　in　the　principles　of　their　construction　or　manner　of

working；　but　the　beam　of　one　is　set　on　an　infinitely　finer　axis

than　the　other；　and　of　course　turns　by　the　addition　of　a　much

smaller　weight。



You　will　understand　this　better；　perhaps；　if　I　give　you　some

familiar　example。　　You　have　all　heard　it　repeated；　I　dare　say；　that

men　of　science　work　by　means　of　induction　and　deduction；　and　that

by　the　help　of　these　operations；　they；　in　a　sort　of　sense；　wring

from　Nature　certain　other　things；　which　are　called　natural　laws；

and　causes；　and　that　out　of　these；　by　some　cunning　skill　of　their

own；　they　build　up　hypotheses　and　theories。　　And　it　is　imagined　by

many；　that　the　operations　of　the　common　mind　can　be　by　no　means

compared　with　these　processes；　and　that　they　have　to　be　acquired　by

a　sort　of　special　apprenticeship　to　the　craft。　　To　hear　all　these

large　words；　you　would　think　that　the　mind　of　a　man　of　science　must

be　constituted　differently　from　that　of　his　fellow　men；　but　if　you

will　not　be　frightened　by　terms；　you　will　discover　that　you　are

quite　wrong；　and　that　all　these　terrible　apparatus　＇87＇　are　being

used　by　yourselves　every　day　and　every　hour　of　your　lives。



There　is　a　well…known　incident　in　one　of　Moliere's　plays；＇88＇

where　the　author　makes　the　hero　express　unbounded　delight　on　being

told　that　he　had　been　talking　prose　during　the　whole　of　his　life。

In　the　same　way；　I　trust；　that　you　will　take　comfort；　and　be　delighted

with　yourselves；　on　the　discovery　that　you　have　been　acting　on　the

principles　of　inductive　and　deductive　philosophy　during　the　same

period。　　Probably　there　is　not　one　here　who　has　not　in　the　course

of　the　day　had　occasion　to　set　in　motion　a　complex　train　of

reasoning；　of　the　very　same　kind；　though　differing　of　course　in

degree；　as　that　which　a　scientific　man　goes　through　in　tracing　the

causes　of　natural　phenomena。



A　very　trivial　circumstance　will　serve　to　exemplify　this。　　Suppose

you　go　into　a　fruiterer's　shop；　wanting　an　apple；you　take　up　one；

and；　on　biting　it；　you　find　it　is　sour；　you　look　at　it；　and　see

that　it　is　hard　and　green。　　You　take　up　another　one；　and　that　too

is　hard；　green；　and　sour。　　The　shopman　offers　you　a　third；　but；

before　biting　it；　you　examine　it；　and　find　that　it　is　hard　and

green；　and　you　immediately　say　that　you　will　not　have　it；　as　it

must　be　sour；　like　those　that　you　have　already　tried。



Nothing　can　be　more　simple　than　that；　you　think；　but　if　you　will

take　the　trouble　to　analyse　and　trace　out　into　its　logical　elements

what　has　been　done　by　the　mind；　you　will　be　greatly　surprised。　　In

the　first　place　you　have　performed　the　operation　of　induction。　　You

found　that；　in　two　experiences；　hardness　and　greenness　in　apples

went　together　with　sourness。　　It　was　so　in　the　first　case；　and　it

was　confirmed　by　the　second。　　True；　it　is　a　very　small　basis；　but

still　it　is　enough　to　make　an　induction　from；　you　generalise　the

facts；　and　you　expect　to　find　sourness　in　apples　where　you　get

hardness　and　greenness。　　You　found　upon　that　a　general　law　that　all

hard　and　green　apples　are　sour；　and　that；　so　far　as　it　goes；　is　a

perfect　induction。　　Well；　having　got　your　natural　law　in　this　way；

when　you　are　offered　another　apple　which　you　find　is　hard　and

green；　you　say；　〃All　hard　and　green　apples　are　sour；　this　apple　is

hard　and　green；　therefore　this　apple　is　sour。〃　　That　train　of

reasoning　is　what　logicians　call　a　syllogism；　and　has　all　its

various　parts　and　terms；its　major　premiss；　its　minor　premiss　and