The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-05-28
Is SCIENCE BANKRUPT?
Address Before the Literary Societies of Wake
Forest College, at Commencement, Nav p, 1907.

universe e. w~-,a6 yrrr~.rs 4~e
0as @eee ef*uFs ta ~onne~ t&~.r th~
r~ 9Th fhr facts pwt @fs~t @G ,ae
thcnsse# @er~ arr ustn eht~gt iu sz~a
ara ww~~ Trsars~4 a. Etn~ rer
interesting Ar& more lws yfhrt tts~
ihe facts Thta was thr p~-fet - s
ulsftea far .rHoa - CORES %e
doubt TITS waz a n~eossa- srtra Sss
tar ~eg*o3 . ~raiIahoo4 IL F-r~*Ark
We h5Fz ret 20 aansrf nc .s~-uEa-
t83f stag .n whfFh fH~ar ~ oat -
H~~nportten = tGe farss a-~ evolved
Fr have not Yrf passes rae nsaEr is
Hh*ca me @uA.ir.oa TEisfs sL tar mtHa
81 rsrUe that hose ~ho acquire ~aMH
e3Te % tn cHpv-tw~asas method
Who therefa-e worA wiih th~r hEass
az ~soute~ha' inferior - Iaaee
etls 1h1nk and reason sp-uE-fe
bat on tie whole. ne ha,v -e-
a t'aEe IN vhch tne aborata
PLAYING . c@nfrat4trE part fa tEe .s.
vaft movement ~ Inc uortA Th~
entfic a ratort experimenting
mere direct atuGv ~ fhr oatrr 40rEs
supplies a. NTH l~faro4at .nu G.r
E4ETS IS . great t,lnr AHutNt~ rvre
aH hti4e bat everyone does samrthtEk
70 help along fAv cause af ~cHtnfoE
Inc laboratory hcirs IN w. wa5v
FIRST. x shows the world how 70 acaf
with problems ~ every kina wh~fnsf
IN The field 81 physical pr~nomeuA oy
not and second j; contributes - the
SO T. G4 Know Ea.E IN the IIFfA-EHHw
field cultivated ht Il
II the object 81 science ls fhr ass.
coNery .. ruth. ln What ssuac can
science he said - be- hunkruNtF The
history Of every branch % science
furnishes evidence OF the .ucrc~s thar
has attended ne efforts 81 !0v"sfl gn-
tors surely The world cannot COM
plain Of the littlcncs- of inc r.stl's
To those engaged n scientific, lnNestf-
cation. that which has been attained
seems 70 be sure. but lIftiv IA COM
pared With that which remains - Do
done but - compared with What wac
known a few hundred years ago. what
Is row known IL of Lpfncrsc prourr-
tf8ns steady accumulation has led 10
great wealth OF knowlcdgc Science =
not bankrupt Draw freely upon her.
my friends-the drafts VIII be hon-
ored.
Let us then inquire whether. in the
feld OF conduct. tho results Of scten-
tlnC investigation arc or are not whole
some? This is the highest test. and.
plainly the most difficult / am quite
sure that no one can al present give
Il email arswer TO this question. be ht
a scientific or a literary man. h sto-
rtan. philosopher or divine Our
knowledge OF the facts is not Suni-
cient We can all express opinions
and give reasons. good or bad. for our
opinions. II one tells me that man
N'att 49, $50 - B ~ 80 o.
| ask how do YOU know II another
tells me that mankind has been help
ed. ! ask. how do YOU know But
the subject. however difficult IL may
be 70 deal with. cannot be dismissed
in that way. on the one
side ard on the other are brought FOR
ward. and. as in a case at law. NC try
TO form an opinion in accordance with
the weight OF evidence II il can be
shown that mankind is SLOWLY advanc-
ing. that the average tandard OF con
duCt of mankind is improving. we
shall, | think. gain q point II would
perhaps be impossible to prove that
science has had a hand in the improve
ment. but it can be shown that certain
definite results have followed In tho
wake of increased knowledge. and It
can at least be made to appear highly
probable that scientific investigation Is
one of the great forces al work in
modifying the conduct Of men,
As regards the fundamental ques-
ton whether mankind - improving or
not. | believe, most persons VIII answer
TINS in the affirmative. The improve
ment may be slow. much slower than
We should like to see II. but H. e not
sure Every one who has even a aal-
perfcial knowledge OF history knows
that the standard Of conduct today IT,
higher than IL was q century or more
ago.
- az III HttI1lDIA OF those oil D2
who are no longer members of the
younger generation. marked improve
ment has taken place in many Gircc-
tons. The relations Of man TO man.
or man to government. and OF gov
to government have certainly
I'm proved The bloody wars OF con
quest that at one time PLAYED such an
important part in the DEVELOPMENT OF
man are practically things OF the past
they may come again, but the signs
indicate that this is improbable. Laws
are becoming less oppressive. Justice ie
more easily obtained. The unfortun-
ate of the race are more tenderly and
more wisely cared for. 1t is no answer
to this argument to say that there -
still much crime. that there are CON
examples ~ corruption cou-
stantly being brought to our attcn-
ton, that there is much suffering
among the people Of the earth The
question is one OF averages. and / do
not hin that any one Will seriously
maintain that the world is going 10 the
bad. In the general tendency Of
things then. there does not seem TO be
any reason for quarrcling with science.
for. IN the whole. the world appears
to be improving
One Of the formerly
most used against science. was that il
Is a~ntagonistic to religion. that the
tendency of scientific work IS to re-
- ~ 'I mum nature. 10 0FtfTUE
her mysteries. and to lead to mate
rialiStic conceptions OF the universe.
We do not hear this nos-a-
DAYS as much as We did a Few years
1t is coming 70 be recognized
more and more clearly that science
can do true religion no harm. but can
only strengthen il. IL may rnodify.
and has modified. dogmatic theology.
but dogmatic theology is one thing and
religion ig another. and true religion
must find a broader and broader foun-
dation in knowledge. more We
know Of the works Of God. the more
we must be impressed by His innnit
greatness. h opposite view would
to be sacrilcgiouS.
Then what are these mater!aliStic
conventions that are the results OF
scientific work? have never been
TO understand what tho are
is absolutely incomprchenalpl-
TO man We know II only as il affects
our senses. We cannot define II. II
any one should say to me that a
knowledge Of matter IS all that we
need in order TO enable as 10 under
stand the universe. ! should have 70
that / do not understand the
statement, for / have no conception
r-r0% - 10 o. 4Ir1-