The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-12-08
PROF. PROCTOR IN BOSTON 81
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7spccesi Correspondence New York Tribune.s
.BcssSs, November IA, - Professor PROCTOR |
3 well qualified by previous consideration
,f the suhSecs to discuss tho qaesssoh
rsneshsr other worlds are haottabie. Az " |
probably In ahts respect shaS nis pEessus
vie@s 10 matters Of science VIII oe Populsi.
lYragarded as diyergtDg Most Wtueiy ,loH
n his r,revious lectures In this country.
Fbefn a notaiug specially heretical, how.
ey,s,r. I'm mis- present view, that The chances
ali 4 plaret being IA condition 70 support
ma A. a million outside the Solaf system, 1
amid the visible planets that reyolve aFoutsd
sha starr. / 70 one caance that there ID any
hahItat,ie globe except tho earth within 5tae
orh,t ar Eepsune.9 The lecture 10 chiefly re-.
rnaskshts for the directness with which II
astacks former theories upon the subject
rghich were based rather on mems ideas as
70 how the universe ought 20 De managed
than On the slender array Of known facas
that src really pertinent TO the discussion.
E,,gy,t,., r. Tine Lecsurc. sA&a as i
In one sense the subject Of life 10 other
xvarl6s in not scientific one. We have DOT
and can never have, positive knowledge
Vohesher she other planets Of the solar sys.
fem are Inhabited, still less whether inhabit.
ed worlds circle around other suns thanfours.
The astronomer can determine the bulk ana
density of q planet, the length OF Its day aud
wear, the light-refectipg quality or us sur
face. even the nature OF the atmosphere sur.
rounding Il; the geologfst can trace tne past
history of our own earth, and thus give us
the means Of inferring the changes OF condi.
sion passed through by other earths 10 tne
universe; the physicist, besides helping ootn
the astronomer and the geoiogist IN tne re"
searches belonging to their specia! depart
ynents. can ascertain the physical require
snants OF living creatures; while the bloioglst
can show how the races inhabiting the esrth
have gradually changed ia accordance Win
fhe VARYING conditions surrounding them.
But neither astronomer, nor geologist, nor
physlcist. nor biologist, can tell US anything
certain about lie in other worlds, nor would
man who bad mastered all the leading
branches of scientific research. Our ideas
about other worlds must aiw ways be specuia.
tive. And yet, apart from the fact TOR sucn
IL Isl that the study OF this subject affords a
means Of presenting In ready and convenient
form the various results Of astronomical re-
search, think that If we look closely into
the matter we shall find that as respects the
great purposes for which science should De
studied, it Is at least as Instructive TO tnlnk
over this subject of life in other worlds as TO
reasoH about purely scientific matters. Sci
entiie facts are not impressive 10 themselves,
but only when we consider them in connec'
ton with what we know about ourselves.
It is then alone that we recognize their
q An< n
science, the question what may be the mean
ing of the wonderful! processes at work
around us--of that mighty machine whereof
ne are ourselves portion.
What we require In dealing with the sub
ject of life il other worlds is in the nrst
place clear recognition Of the position we
opght to take with respect 10 the theory OF
purpose or plan in nature, and next care
ful attention to all the evidence, whether
direct or indirect. On the first point would
remark that modern science does not object,
as many suppose, to the idea of scheme 10
the universe, but to the theory that that
scheme Is one which men can understand.
Formerly this theory was regarded almost
as first principle in books Of science. II q
choice lay between two interpretations Of OBJ.
served facts, and one seemed to accord well,
the other iii, with conceptions entertained
respecting the ways of God, the former was
accepted unhesita,ipgiy even though the
balance of evidence might be in favor of the
latter. Thus In astronomy 1t was assumed
that the celestial bodies had been all created
either to support life, as the sun does, or
fosubserve the wants Of living creatures, as
the moon does, or like our own earth, to be
actually the abode ofIiSing creatures. This
was the basis of the argument Of men like
Brewster, Chalmers, Dick, and others-men
exceedingly weiEmeaning, and SEINE of them
very able, but who in dealing with the ques-
ton of other worlds assumed the very doc.
trins which was the subject of discussion.
When WheTell suddenly rejected that doc.
frine, thus freeing himself TO hold the theory
that our earth may be the only inhabited
world in the whele universe, many were as
much startled as though in some way their
religious faith had been shaker The very
theory for which Giordano Bruno was cen.
demned to the stake but few centuries ago
was now described by Brewster as "the
creed OF the philosopher and the hope Of the
Christian" Brewster adopted, too, in his ar.
gument With Whewell something of tie an
CRY tone which we hate learned, unhappily,
20 associate with discussions about religion.
Doubtless It Is aa excellent view Of the won.
deH which the study o? science brings CON.
tinually before US to regard them all as sym.
bols Of the weight and wisdom of 8 Supreme
Being. Nor can there be any objection to
the consideration OF any special Object as
illustrating the benevolenee Of God, so only
that the object be -judiciously selected and
the evidence Of its purpose clear and unmis.
taxable But when men pretend to inter-
pref the purposes of God regarding, for ex-
ample, other planets and other suns, much
mischief may be done. The special ipdics.
tions Of divine economy thus brought before
the student may come to- be regarded as
forming q necessary-part OF the Evidence on
which he is to base bis belief In the wisdom
and beneyolence Of God, so that he loses
faith II he learns that the special purpose
supposed TO be fulfilled IL not In reality
fulfilled, that the seeming display o.
care Tor the wants of living creatures
must be otherwise Interpreted. And here
we are brought into presence Of one o
those mysteries Of the universe which has
baffed, and proiniseseyer to battle, mankind
We fnd that orr conceptions Of what con.
stitntes care and management, 80 to speak
do not accord with natures operations
which seem TO be characterized by lavish.
ness resembling waste3nd prodigaiity. True
II we could understand the whole scheme OF
nature. we might be able TO perceive a DER
feet adaptation OF all parts to the schemes Of
8wfse-uud bcnevosent God. But I am no,
concerned here to'speak OF that which il. bat
OF what appears; aad assugeliy an appa.
rent waste OF power and material is obserss-
Die IN snalaress operations. Take for 10.
stance, the mightiest exponent Of ,she forces
ot-usture which we are atte 70 study with
adsan!age-the sun {she stars are too far
away Tor certainty What eau seem
csearef at first view than d tia,