The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-04
ON SERIES
And LEVELS
Or. Josiah Royce, OF Harvard,
Lectures at Richmond
College.
is DEFINED.
SCIENCE

SCIENCE is DEFINED
Josiah Royce, I'h. D., Ill. r., professor
of philosophy In Harvard University, de-
. livercd last night the first lecture IN the
twenty-fifth course of the Thomas Mu-
scum foundation.
brilliant audience filled the college
chapel.
Professor Royce Is possibly the best
known or tie teachers OF philosophy In
America, and there was Just eagerness
TO hear In the throng last night one
could SEQ ministers, lawyers, physicians,
bankers and other business mon, but
most marked was the attendance OF teach
ers who came from the numerous edu-
catonal institutions OF the city 10 hear
this great teacher from Dean OF An1eri-
can Universities"
President Boatwrlght presided In opcil-
ing remarks he gracefully referred to tho
s1lendid session which the college had
this year entered upon, In the enlarged
attendance and the fine spirit OF the
students. and then presented Professor
William II. Whltsltt, Of the chair Of.
philosophy In Richmond College, who
introduced In most effective manner the
distinguished lecturer.
Some Fundamental Conceptions OF
Ecicnce.t' The special subject for the
evening was ..Thc Orderly Arrangements
OF Facts and ideas: Series and Levels. - -
Dr. Royce stated that although his sub
h jcct suggested things difficult and abb
8 strusc, he would show how that they had
direct relation to human life.
The attempt to arrange has ever becl, a
natural impulse and philosophy has
& SOAR cha cd for NJ m
a Aristotle found all orderly arrangement
in nature. Tho modern world Of thought
4 split Into two divisions. one OF which
sought TO find the universe merely me
chanical. This branch was mere ma
terialsts. The human mind abborrll,g
& difference. tried to explain the world as
entirely Il creation OF the mind. But
time has taught modesly in ali attempts
to explain the phenomcn OF the world.
Rely on Experiments.
The speaker stated that observation and
experiment were our only sources or
knowledge. BY other means we cannot
know. Faith and hope We may have.
y but knowledge comes in no other way.
Kaut reasoned that human experience Is
the only source OF knowledge and the
mind cansgo no further. God Is an object
4 OF faith, SO is not the subject OF science.
But the important question arises: What
genuine knowledge can VIC have from
things outside OF themselves?
Thought and conduct are closely re-
Is lated: In science man ts struggling 10
gain the mastery over his own expert
cnce and results arc determined by the
y way man interprets his own experience.
With more organs OF sense than we have,
for instance an organ to ca tch the waves
in wireless telegruphy, the world would
"a he transformer: without any OF those
we bow. as. for instance, the eyes. We
could not get the idea OF universe In It's
Wilderness. D @ 81
knowledge is gained then by the sense.
\ limited by one kind Of thinking. Man
thinks his own way; cannot abandon his
point of view: the world is made in part
X by what we think
Defines Science.
Science is the effort to reduce facts to
do. Whenfthe child learns to control his
organs next he begins Is the reducing
OF experience to Older: in time the man
4 refuses to order the laws Of the Stars
the facts OF geology. the history OF man.
So though brings chaotic world into
order. Although the world seems to have
principles OF order and nature meets us
= half way, apart from man all Is chaotic
t;ths is mans world.
The important question is What Is
''ordr''? St. Augustine once said he
4 kcnw what time was until some one
asked him what It, was, Order Is funda-
mental in science, II Is faniliaS. do
,ncstic concept;ait is beautiful.
In an orderly world things arc ~ in
"A series; they arc in relation and agree. or
(2) they are equal In any point OF view.
arc people and SO are on some level
Series and levels, then. are necessary to
definition OF order. 5fg
Science Classics.
science classfics things, but any such
classification must be artificial and ideal
81 us the world never comes to us in classes (
Only can We divide the world Into classes
BY effort Of tho Will. classification Is
therefore. a tampcring with experience.
4 but a useful one al
Order is 10 put into q series, rs houses
* in a street. books on n shelf; 1t becomes
fruitful and practical as in measurement
whose fruitfulncss III the modern Indus
trial world Is marvellous.
In Jewels a thing may have the same
4 flow III one series as another In another
series.
So then series and level depend on re-
latlonshp, tho holding Of. Two things in
the, mind together a king implies sub
icct. but kingshlp ceases. Is unthinkablc
when he becomes without subjects.
But series depends OH kind OF relation,
az above and below, better and worse:
while levels mean equality, similarity TO,
I so that in levels one thing can DO sub
stItuted for the other
The next lecture will be this evening
& at s:15 p. NJ, the subject being Trans
formations and Their Laws, =
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