ADDRESS

BY

GENERAL JOHN EATON,

VICE PRESIDENT, SECTION I. ECONOMIC SCIENCE AND STATISTICS.

SCIENTIFIC METHODS AND SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE IN

COMMON AFFAIRS.1

THE speaker, after calling attention to the name of the section as expressive of its purpose and functions, spoke of the apparent neglect of the thoughts and interests of ordinary life by scientists. Science, it is true, has had to struggle for existence and has had to choose the most defensible positions for its early work, but the time has now come, at least in this practical land, when it must interest itself in every-day topics. The methods of mathematical science may explain statical and dynamical sociology as well as statical and dynamical physics. Of course the consideration of such topics must be conducted with a constant recognition of the freedom of individual will and action as well as of the substantial regularity of cause and effect as shown among great numbers of people over long periods of time. Science has already destroyed augury by the flight of birds, and will hereafter put an end to notions equally baseless, though still potent in the most common translations of commerce and agriculture. He would need to be better at cataloguing than Homer was, who should attempt to name the myriad groundless notions that today regulate or effect the conduct of personal or public affairs in these days of scientific triumph.

After mentioning some of the effects sure to result from the entrance of science into common life, the speaker further and more minutely instanced the effect of the production and use of measures and weights, both of the progress of practical science itself and on the comfort and security of man, as an example of the way

1 Abstract of address by the Secretary of the Section.

in which scientists might aid humanity in many directions. But the desire for "original research" has filled most scientific minds to the exclusion of "useful adaptation." Is science for man, or man for science? and is there any good in science which is not measured by its benefit to mankind? How much patience is shown in observing the habits of a mosquito, and how little when asked to tell the world about it in a useful way. Do not some scientists believe that the dissemination of scientific truths is beneath their dignity? Do not some of them believe or behave as if they believed that truth is not really truth till garbed in their terminology? We all know collegians who would not relish their triennial catalogue unless printed in the customary bad Latin. All such foolish notions ill befit science if it is to become the handmaid of man in daily life.

The teaching of scientific truth is as respectable as its discovery, and will become yet more deserving of respect when a truly scientific way of teaching becomes more general; for, contrary to common opinion, the scientific method of instruction is more rare and less understood than the scientific method of research.

This scientific teaching method knows that early life is the shaping period of all men's existence, and for most, the chief time for acquiring knowledge; hence the law of simplicity and lucidity in using words and the law of presenting things concretely instead of abstractly, are fundamental rules in its code, leaving scientists at perfect liberty to use other kinds of words and methods whenever deemed necessary for the exact expression or sure preservation of scientific truth.

This scientific method of teaching is now needed to preserve the classical branches from impending disuse. If adapted and applied everywhere in scholastic instruction, it would speedily, and very greatly increase the number of people interested in the higher and abstruser parts of intellectual effort, scientific as well as literary and classical, theoretical as well as practical.

This scientific method of instruction, if properly understood, would demonstrate its own economy, and in its light the general instruction of the whole community becomes a condition precedent to the promotion of science, and its data are fit subjects for our discussion here.

The men who wish to make science practical, also wish to make

it familiar to all; every agency for its effective and rapid dissemination is welcomed be it periodical, museum, or treatise. It is only by substitution that we can get rid of low and vile books; the useful and the beautiful variously prepared for varying tastes and capacities, will gradually introduce scientific fact and moral truth into every mind which needs either for its full development or further employment.

What shall these books be? An all important question: certainly they must contain whatever of value science, art and morals have found.

To this formulation of useful knowledge for the daily use of man, everything is pointing. Every invention tends to centralize the thought and action of the world to this end. The time is approaching when every science will exist as a whole, while yet relating itself to every art and yielding its practical lessons for the use of every man; the influence of this condition will begin with birth itself.

The speaker then enlarged somewhat on the province of the census and other publications of the government, federal, state, and local; favoring the idea of making local publications appear at short intervals of time, and contain minute details, while the decennial census should be of vastly wider scope than is usual in such publications.

The local publications could easily be made to contain items intended for summary by intermediate instrumentalities of government, and these in like manner might provide for summaries by the state and finally the nation.

As an instance of voluntary coöperation as an effective agency in the collection of information for the public use, the speaker mentioned the annual report of his own office, the National Bureau of Education. Were such publications common in other branches of public life and interest, each nation might distil them into a volume for the use of all others, and thus a solid foundation for internationalism of a truly noble and scientific kind might be laid.