MS 611-15

1908 Dec 1 Logic I.i. 28

a prodigious memory that nobody who is not more than usually gifted in that way will take up the study of it, and still less will he think of keeping himself informed of the general state progress of that science from year to year, especially if the number of workers in it is very great. I suppose that every chemist of eminence could pass a good examination in all the undisputed parts of physics, and even in regard to them would know in what the doubt consists, and could moreover mention the two or three most important contributions to physics of the past twelve month; while I fancy that if a dozen physicists taken at random from a list of the most eminent were to attempt without special preparation to pass an examination in chemistry and were to find the first question were so old a story as "Explain Perkins's reaction," there would hardly be two of the dozen who come out would answer with

1908 Dec 1 Logic I.i. 29

much honor. But there will be few such cases. A scheme of classification is of its essence too simple in form to exhibit all the intricate relations between the sciences. But its simplicity is a great virtue or rather is a requirement that cannot be dispensed with.

1908 Nov 28 Logic I.i. 2

At one sidereal hour it will be somewhat more, at another as much less. Say I can imagine the stars to be twice as thickly scattered as they are, and I can imagine a thousand.

Shall I tell you what one of all the enormous numbers is the one which really awes me the most;--not that I can imagine it, but that the repetitions of multiplications by a thousand vaguely impress me? It is this. I can imagine a kilometre well; that is I can imagine walking that distance. I can imagine a a statute mile nearly nearly as well. I try to imagine a thousand kilometres stretched out end to end. I cannot say I can imagine that; but if I could, I should only have to imagine forty such lengths put end to end, and I should imagine the distance round the earth. Substituting miles for kilometres and 25 in place of 40, and I get the same result.

1908 Nov 30 Logic I.i. 10

until it is so published as to be open to the criticism sympathetic but severe, criticism of the members of that social group which consists that comprises of all those persons who devote their lives to the prosecution of similar inquiries; and nothing no result is regarded as "Established" until it is admitted with positive or negative unanimity by the that group.

I think I cannot do better than to take Science in general in the sense of the collective and cooperative activity of those who devote themselves to the inquiries of a general kind. But it is more difficult to define a science. I mean, if I can, to have my use of it denote a living widely scattered fact, and not to refer be a monument of dead discoveries not yet to refer to the knowledge of the to what was discovered in past centuries except so far as they are actively future of which I can only prophesy that it would