New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-31
SCIENCE AND RELIGION.
lpoF. TYNDALL's ADDRESS TO THE BRITISH
ASSOCIATION.

x,rrv OF THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE FOR 23U
yrARs-pRoGREss OF THE DOCTRINES OF OAR
WIN. HUXLEY, AND sPENCER-AN AvowED MA
TERIALIsM
IRON TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIbUSEl
pr,r,sT. Aug. 2O.-Last night marks, / venture to
hk an epoch in the history of the British Associa-
~ II not in the history of science itself rather of
;treation TO the world in general Prof. Tyndall de-
1;red his opening address President of the Asso
;o,;on and the address is IN all ways most remark
.hle IL departs wholly from the forms laid down
nv custom for discourse on such an occasion The
tnnction of President of the British Association
!. pretty strictly defined. He is looked to for
sketch Of the history of Science during
the preceding twelvemonth. If he do not attempt
General outline he may give account of what has
been dond IN his own particular department Oh III
xestication. few Presidents have felt themselves
s,rong enough to disregard the obligation OF GUS
ton. and have seized upon this conspicuous plat
t,rm 10 advocate their own theories. But there has
been no more complete departure from usage than
that of Prof. Tyndall last night Circumstances
and his own genius and force of character have Tor
some wears brought him prominently to the front IN
.he incessant contest between scientific tendencies
and ecclesiastical reaction in which most OF the
active minds of this generation have borne some
mart That contest has at length taken form IN
which it becomes, in Prof TyndalPs mind, more I'm"
nortant for the moment than any purely scientific
question. 1t seemed to him that the time had come
70 make statement; to declare the position which
Science assumes and to define the proper limits OF
scientific and rel gous discussion. To that end, he
has gone over the history of scientific inquiry from
,be beginning; traced the origin and progress and
development of the ideas and methods which have
now become dominant and announced in unfatering
times the convictions at which few leading minds
have arrived. Not shrinking from the terrible
question of the origin, not merely of species but OF
life he has proclaimed the doctrine of Materiaism
in words to which his most bitter opponent cannot
deny the merit of frankness. To certain extent
Prof Tyndall may be said to have committed the
British Association to doctrine which by no means
all its members are ready to accept. 1t IS remark
able that this should finally be done by a man who
has won his greatest fame in natural philosophy.
The historical part of this address is itself sum-
mary and is so concise that either it must be given
in full OF mere outline of it be drawn. 1t begins
with Democrtus, AGO b. c., and it might surprise
Don Carlos to find that the atomic philosophy which
,the basis of so many theories at this day. Is $500
wears old With DemOcritus begins, according to
Prof Tyndall a true scientific method, or with him
that doctrine first attained precision, the latest
deyelopments of which were set forth with such
power and completeness at the last meeting of the
British Association. After Democrltus came Empe-
dooles who enuncated partly if not fully another
famous modern doctrne-that of the survival of the
fttest Epicurus succeeded, and to him there was
present conviction of the need in mans nature OF
ethical requirements: a remark which gives rise to
the following most significant and suggestive pas
cage:
Man never has BEEN and he never will be satisfied
with the operations and products OF the understanding
mauds of his nature But the history of the efforts
made to satisfy these demands might be broadly de-
scribed history of errOrs-the error consisting in
ascrh!ng fxty to that which 10 fluent which varies
vary being gross when we gross, and becoming
as our capacities widen more abstract and sublime on
great point the mind of Epcurus was at peace He
sOOa profit from his relation 10 the gods And 1t Is as
suredy fact that ofness and serenity OF thought may
be promoted by conceptions which involve no idea OF
profit OF this KIND. did not believe" said great
man once. that Intelligence at the heart of
of these words IL not In my opinion, rendered
need Of ethical harmony here, and not the thought of
personal profit hereafter that prompted his observation
The challenge thus flung out, as ii were, in pass
ing will serve as keynote to the spirit of the
whole address. Neither on this nor on Others which
shall quote can stop TO comment, but wish to
express once for all my admiration of the perfect
openness as well as the nobleness of tone which
peryades them; and my conviction that If an an
swer is to be made to Them it must, in order to be
these Lucretus is the next great name, and dis
olples were not wanting to him, though he has no
rewards in future life to Offer He, too, has an
teipated modern thought for his grand conception
Of the atoms falling silently through immeasurabe
ranges of space and time suggested the nebular
hypothesis to Kant, its first propounder." During
the period illustrated by these great names,
the human intellect showed various activities;
the science of ancient Greece had cleared the
world of the fantastic images of dvinities operating
capriciously through natural phenomena; it had in
vented scientific method, and rendered it in great
measure complete by the union of Induction and
Experiment. What stopped its victorious advance ~
Admitting the influence of other causes alleged by
Bacon and Whewen Prof. Tyndall supplies an
answer Of his own; Christianity. Life became emo
tonal by persecution. and the early martyrs,
triumphng by exaltation of spirit over dia-
bocal tOrtures. grew to scorn the earth, and
"the Scriptures which mnstered to their
Spiritual needs were also the measure their
Science" The Bible was with many the ultimate
court of appeal Science was refined in" and later
came the political and theological strife between the
Church and civil governments to stiie investigation
The spirit of the Middle Ages was mental spirit.
1t was time when thought had become abject. and
hen the aeeeptancS OF lnere sah Nanrai events
instead Of being traced TO physical were reIerreu 70
while an exercise OF
as degrading as the sprituas OF the present day. took
place Of scientific speculation Then came the mys-
fcsms of the Middle Ages, magic, alchemy, the Neo-
PatOnic philosophy, with its visionary though sublime
distractions which caused men 10 LOOK WIN shame
upon bodies hinderances TO the absorption
OF the creature the blessedness OF the Creator.
Finally came the scholastic philosophy. fusion, &C
cordng 10 LANCE OF the least mature notions OF Ars-
tOtle with the Christianity OF the west lnteuectual
immObllity the result.
Aristotle. in Prof. Tyndalls view, shares the re-
sponsibity of this immoblity, and to Aristotle he
shows no mercy. With an almost superhuman
power of amaSsing and systematic facts, the stag-
rite was fatally defective in the mental qualities
and