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Aberdeen University Studies No. 89 THE DOMAIN OF NATURAL SCIENCE University of Aberdeen, UNIVERSITY STUDIES. General Editor: P. J. Andkrson. LLB., Librarian to the University. 1900-1913. Nos. 1-63. — 1914. No. 64 Zoul ogit aa Studus, Professor Thomson and others. Ser. VIII. „ No. 65.—Highland Host 0/1678. I R. Elder. D.Liu — ' «.! e No. 66. bibliography of Aberdeen, Banff, ati.t Ktnmrdwe. J. F. Kellai (ohnstone. „ No. 67. — Bishop Burnet as Educationist. John Clarke. M.A 1915. No. 68.— Territorial Soldiering M NJ3, Scotlamt. J. M. Bulloch. M.A. ,, No. 69.— Proceettings of the Anatomical and Anthropological Society, iqoK-m. „ No. 70.—Zoological Studies. Professor Thomson and others. Ser IX ,, No. 71. —Aberdeen t 'ntvcrstt\ Library Bulletin. Vol. II. — Studies, Professor 1916. No. 72. Physiological MacWilliam. F.R.S , and others. Ser. I. 1917. No. 73— Concise Bibliography of Inverness-shire. P. J. Anderson. No The Idea tied. Professor 74.—— of Pnngle-Pattison. (Giflord Lectures, 1912*13. » .. No. 75. Interamna Boreahs. W. Keith Leask, M.A. No. 7&.—R0II of Medical Service of British Army. Col. W. Johnston. C.B.. LL.D. 1918. No. 77. — Aberdeen I'mversttv Library Bulletin. Vol. HI. No. 78.—Moral Values atul the Idea of God. W. R. Sorley. Liu.D. (Gifford LecL. 1914-1$ 1919. No. ya.—God and Personality. C. C. J. Webb, M.A. (Giflord Lect., ig 1920. No. So. —Divine Personality and Human Life. C. C. J. Webb. (Gifford Lect., 1919.) No. St.—Bulletins of College of Agriculture. N01. 15-37. 1931. No. 8a.—Subject Catalogue of Cruickshank Science Library. „ No. 83. —Physical Geology of the Don Basin. Alexander Bremner, D.Sc „ No. H4.——Bolt of Service, 1914-19. M. D. Allardyce ., No. 85. — Catalogue of Taylor Collection. 192a. No. 8'.— Aberdeen i'ntversity Ltbrary Bulletin. Vol. IV. „ No. 87. Rtcordi of Banff for*, lame 1 Grant, LL.B. 1923. No. 88. — I'iVi Illustres L'nnrrsitdtum Ahredonenstum. W. E. McCutloch, M.B. .. No. 89.—Domain of Natural Science. E. W. Hobson, F.R.S. (Gifford Lect., 1931-22 The Domain of Natural Science THE GIFFORD LECTURES DELIVERED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN IN 1921 AND 1922 BY E. W. HOBSON, Sc.D., LL.D., F.R.S. Sadleirian Professor of Pure Mathematics, and Fellow of Christ's College, in the University of Cambridge ABERDEEN FOR THE UNIVERSITY 1923 \58 PPlNTtD IN OMAT PRITA1> - PREFACE prominence which that complex of knowledge Theand ideas which is denoted by the term Natural Science has attained in the thought and life of the modern world is undeniable, and is indeed fully recog- nized by all thinking persons. But the question as to the exact position which what is often termed the scien- tific view of the world should rightly occupy, in relation to the other factors of human experience with which Religion and Philosophy are concerned, is one which earnest gives rise to very divergent opinions amongst thinkers. This is a matter which causes grave perplexity to the minds of great numbers of men and women. The of question has been, in various connections, a subject controversy for centuries, and it has in our time become of inestimable importance, in view of the effects which any generally accepted answer to it may have, not only upon our theoretical views and mental life, but also upon our attitude towards existence in its more prac- the lectures tical aspects. My main object in preparing which are here published was to provide a reasoned contribution towards the clarification of ideas in relation to this fundamentally important question. In order to attain my object it was necessary to undertake an exam- ination, as close as the circumstances permitted, of the historical development, aims, and true characteristics, of various departments of Natural Science, with a view to the characterization of the proper position of Natural Science in relation to Thought in general. Based upon this examination of the leading features vi PREFACE of scientific theories and laws I have advocated particular \ uus of the essential characteristics of Natural Science, the acceptance of which would imply that, in our more general outlook upon the world, a position of much le dependence upon Natural Science may rightly be taken up than has been supposed by many men of Science to be admissible. What is sometimes spoken of as the "descriptive view" of the functions of Natural Science is, in its main outlines, fa- from new, and has received some measure of acceptance on the part of prominent men of Science and other thinkers. I have endeavoured to make this view more explicit and precise than in the forms, often fragmentary, in which it has previously been stated. That Natural Science is in no wav con- r cerned with questions as to the nature of reality, or w ith efficient causation, and that the edifice it has reared is independent of any special ontological assumptions, and in particular of that set of assumptions known as physical realism, are propositions which I have, through- out the lectures, illustrated and maintained. A position of detachment, or neutrality, as regards the ontological and other conceptions which divide various schools of Philosophy would entail as a consequence that the authority7 of Natural Science cannot properly be in- voked, as of decisive weight, in favour of any assump- tions which it does not need for its own purposes. The freedom which would thus accrue to Religion and Philo- sophy from any compelling influence due to Natural Science would be of course limited by the eragencies involved in the admission that all questions relatingtothe order of the world of physical percepts should be treated in accordance with the canons of Natural Science alone; a condition which has in the past by no means always PREFACE vii been fulfilled. In the last two lectures I have given some consideration to the further question, what influ- ence Natural Science may exert upon our wider outlook on the world, when it is supplemented by ontological assumptions which are extraneous to it. Apart from slight emendations and a few short in- sertions, the lectures are here published as they were delivered in Aberdeen. In the preparation of those lectures in which the histories of special departments of Natural Science are sketched I have been dependent upon information ob- tained from a large number of sources. Of these I here mention only those of which I have made most use. In the lecture on Time and Space, and in other lectures on departments of Physics, I have utilized the works of H. Poincare, especially La Science et VHypothese. In the lectures on Corpuscular theories of matter, on Dy- namics, and on The conservation of matter and energy, I have made considerable use of the historical information contained in the work of E. Myerson entitled Identite et Realite. In these and other lectures I have also utilized Lange's Geschichte des Materialismus. In the lecture on Electricity, Magnetism, and Light I have drawn much historical information from Prof. E. T. Whittaker's work entitled History of the theories of Aether and Elec- tricity. In the lecture on The constitution of matter I have utilized the work by A. E. Garrett on The periodic and also law, Prof. Soddy's lectures in Science and Life. In the lecture on Cosmical Theories I have drawn his- torical information from Miss Agnes M. Clerke's History of Astronomy in the nineteenth century, and I have also utilized J. H. Jeans' work on Problems of Cosmogony and Stellar Physics. viii PREFACE In the part of the lecture on Biological Science which deals with a comparison of the living organism with a machine, as regards relations of Energy, I have utilized Prof. J. Johnstone's work on The Philosophy of Biology. In a portion of this lecture I have also made use of Merv's History of European cwitixation. In the preparation of the lectures on The Iking organism, on Heredity, and on the Evolution of Species, I have utilized the works of Prof. J. Arthur Thomson, especially those entitled Heredity and The Science of Life. In these lectures I have also made much use of the historical information contained in E. S. Russell's work entitled Form and Function; and I have also drawn information from 1 1. F. Osborn's work From the Greeks to Dane in. Before I wrote the two final lectures I perused Prof. J. B. Baillie's Studies in Human Nature and was influ- enced in some points bv his views. To Dr F. H. A. Marshall, F.R.S., and the Rev. F. R. Tennant, D.D., each of whom read the type-scripts of some of the lectures, I am indebted for advice on special points. To my friend Prof. James Ward, F.B.A., I owe much. Without the stimulus received in the course of conversations carried on with him during many yean I should probably never have ventured upon the task of writing upon a subject so much wider than my main subject of study. i:\V.H. Christ's Collece, Cambridce March 1923 CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION i The choice of subject. The denotation of the terms Science and Natural Science. Plan of procedure in the lectures. Effects of recent scientific discovery on industrial and social life. Com- mon and Instinctive knowledge. Animism and Magic. The tension between Science and other elements of Thought. The effect of the rise of the Copernican system. The effect of geo- logical discovery. The effect of Darwin's views. Recent re- laxation of the tension. Fear of the effect of extreme views of men 'of Science.