A plea for pure science : being the inaugural lecture at the opening of the Faculty of Science, in University College, London, October 4th, 1870 / by A.W. Williamson.

  • Williamson, Alexander W. (Alexander William), 1824-1904.
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A plea for pure science : being the inaugural lecture at the opening of the Faculty of Science, in University College, London, October 4th, 1870 / by A.W. Williamson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    efficient discharge underlies most others, is to preserve and develope the bodily health by a due observance of the phy- sical and other conditions which conduce to it; and many duties of a high order relate more directly to the physical or mental activity of man, or to the general direction of his labour. In short everybody has duties which bring him in contact with animated and with inanimate nature, and the efficiency with which he discharges them depends on his knowledge of the corresponding order of nature as taught by science. It frequently happens that those who are aware of the deficiency of any existing system, and who see means by which that deficiency can be supplied, concentrate their attention so much on the circumstances which indicate the deficiency, and on the advantages which they expect to accrue from the adoption of the remedial measures, as to exaggerate their importance and to undervalue the existing system. At the same time others, knowing that much good is being done by the existing system, and that still more good might be done by its extension, overlook its inherent shortcomings, and desire to maintain it michanged, while applying it more and more extensively. The innovators look upon these latter as mere obstruc- tives, and are in their turn considered as disturbers. Each party feels that its own views are true and useful, and seeing that the views of the other party are very different, jumps to the conclusion that they must be untrue and mischievous. The history of human activity abounds with records of conflicts between parties differing from one another in the point of view from which they consider some one question. But there is not a nobler proof of progress in human society than the change which is so steadily and rapidly taking place in the character of those conflicts. The word toleration inadequately expresses the principle of the change; for it merely denotes the absence of the