The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-08-27
What knowledge is of the Most w orth

What knowledge is of tho Most w Orth
The Westminster Review for July has a
sound and careful reply to this question.
The writer first criticises the objects which
we propose in pursuit of knowledge. We
are not content with urholding our own
powers in all directions; we do not ask
what knowledge is of most real worth but
what will bring most power, or wealth, or
social position. Not what we shall be in
ourselves, but what shall be thought of us,
ls the question. After pointing out the
connections Of scientific knowledge with
all the great pursuits Of life, the writer con-
cludes with this comprehensive summing
up Of the whole subject:
Thus to the question with which we set
out-What knowledge is of most worth?
the uniform reply is-scicnce. This is
the verdict on all the counts For direct
self preservation, or the maintenance OF
life and health, the all-important knowl-
edge is-science. For that indirect self
preservation which we call gaining a live
lhood, the knowledge of greatest value is
science. For the due discharge Of pa
rental functions, the proper guidance Is TO
be found only in-scicnce. For that i'll
depreciation of national life. past end pres
ent, without which the citizen cannot right
ly regulate his conduct the Indispensable
key is-sCicnce. Alike for the most per
feet production and highest enjoyment Of
art in all its forms, the ncedful preparation
is still-science. And for purposes Of dis
ipline-intcllectual moral, religious-the
most efficient study IL, once more--ci-
ence. The question which at first seemed
so perpl-xed has become in the course Of
our inquiry, comparatively simple. We
have not TO estimate the degrees of i'm
pOrtance Of different orders Of human ac
tivity, and different studies as s-v rally
fitting u for them; since we find that the
study OF science, in its most cornprehen-
siye meaning, i the best preparation for
all those orders Of activity. We have not
10 decide bctween the claims Of know
ledge Of great though conventional value
and knowledge of less though intrinsic va
!ue; seeing that the knowledge which We
lind t. be ui most value in other respects.
l. intrin-icaiiy most valuable. IL worth i
not dependent upon opinion, but i as fix
ed H. ! the relation Of man - the sur
roGEI.n. world Necessary and eternal a.
are - t.ItAs. all science concerns all man
kind ior ali time. Equally At present, and
IN the reuOtr-t future, must 1t Ice ot in
calculabie importance for the regulation of
their conduct, that men should understand
the science Of life, physical. mental and
social, and that they should understand
all other science a. {. KEY 20 the science
Of life
And yet the knowledge which i of such
tran-ccndant value j. that which in our
a.a Of boa-ted education. receives the. least
attention. While this which call civil
ization could never have arisen had !, not
been for science. science forms scarcely, an
apprec.al!- element in what men consider
civilized training Tbm,.b - tI,a ,,ro~r....
OF science W. owe il. that millions tini -llp-
port where once. they, va food only ,ar
thousands. yet of rI!,sa millions Int i f.,y
thousand. Law any yc>u.-c, n tia, which
liza made theirexi,t nee po>,:i!r THOUGH
this .ucrca.in. kmywIcdte cf tL. proper
- and relations Of thing has not only
enabled wandering triIc. to grow into %
pulous nations but ha, given to the count
L. members of those lopul.u, nation,
comforts and pleasures which th~ir lev
naked ancestors never even conceived or
could have believed, vet Is this kind Of
knowledge only now receiving a crudg ginc
recognition III our highest educational in