The daily critic., 1890-11-26
1Rg SPIRIT OF SCIENCE.
rheory and Application arc Not fnde-
pendent Branchca

penoent Branches.
Frru ne So Ions Gio5s- Deu0erat
The most significant feature Of the
civilization Of The present century, IN
qucstiouably, Is the progress TO science.
We may point with pardonable pride TO
The fact that The realm of invention and
discovery las been extended during
said period az rate never before
known. and the world Is benefited
thereby In an incalcuhble degree At
no previous time 10 the history Of the
human race has there been so much or
the scientific spirit In its affairs aud
purposes. its sentiments and tendencies.
That Is 10 say, never before have the
results Of scientific research and expert
ment been so widely and prOdtablv
applied 10 the practical Interests Of life
~ is customary TO compliment the
practical inventors at the expense of
The original designers by making a dis
iinCtiOn between theoretic science and
applied science as VI they were two
distinct and Independent things. when
In reality there is no warrant for such
q conclusion, we have science and
the applications Of science" saws a
celebrated teacher, which are united
20 each other as the fruit and the tree
ON which II crew. To separate them
is 20 Introduce a contradiction and q
deception They GO together from first
TO last. and can properly be estimated
only in that light The surprising
few who make the initatory discov.
cries would probably fail in the matter
Of practical applications, if they should
attempt 10; ard, on the other hand,
those who put these fundamental veri
ties into practice could probably never
have discovered them.
But this does not imply that there
are two unConnected systems Of science.
II simply signifies that there are two
classes Of workers. one starting where
the other leaves of, and both serving
the same cause by different means.
The highest praise belongs, it may fairly
be said TO the former; but our obii-
cations 10 the latter are none the less
certain and important on that account.
The fact remains to be emphasized
and Il is the principle one In the case
that science, literally speaking, Is
knowledge. Usage has invested II
with an exclusively technical meaning,
but that Is not its legitimate purport.
IL is not confined 10 particular topics or
fields Of inquiry; Il embraces every.
thing that concerns mankind, and It's
spirit is the light OF truth and accuracy
In all the relations and interests of life.
The scope that II covers Is CO extensive
with the universe, and nothing is for
eign to II that touches any Of our mani.
fold thoughts and schemes and contro-
versiCs. II does not pertain alone to
issues Of intelligence, but also TO ques.
lions Of emotion.
There are truths of the heart rs we'll
as Of the head, and science includes the
one as well as the other. II means
both right thinking aud right feeling.
We cannot all be apostles of science In
the absolute sense of the designation
but we can all acquire the scientific
spirit, more or less, thus Increasing our
eXaCtncss OF Information and OF iuig.
ment, and thus helping 10 our way aud
time 10 push the world toward the win.
dlcalion of Tenny philosophy Of
human perfection. which Is only
another name for the complete sway Of
science.