Novum organon renovatum: Being the second part of the philosophy of the inductive sciencesWhewell, William
Philosophy
Novum organon renovatum: Being the second part of the philosophy of the inductive sciences
Whewell, William
Science -- Philosophy
3. We may further observe, that this arrangement of Sciences
according to the Fundamental Ideas which they involve, points out
the transition from those parts of human knowledge which have been
included in our History and Philosophy, to other regions of
speculation into which we have not entered. We have repeatedly found
ourselves upon the borders of inquiries of a psychological, or
moral, or theological nature. Thus the History of Physiology[28\2]
led us to the consideration {138} of Life, Sensation, and Volition;
and at these Ideas we stopped, that we might not transgress the
boundaries of our subject as then predetermined. It is plain that
the pursuit of such conceptions and their consequences, would lead
us to the sciences (if we are allowed to call them sciences) which
contemplate not only animal, but human principles of action, to
Anthropology, and Psychology. In other ways, too, the Ideas which we
hare examined, although manifestly the foundations of sciences such
as we have here treated of also plainly pointed to speculations of a
different order; thus the Idea of a Final Cause is an indispensable
guide in Biology, as we have seen; but the conception of Design as
directing the order of nature, once admitted, soon carries us to
higher contemplations. Again, the Class of Palætiological Sciences
which we were in the _History_ led to construct, although we there
admitted only one example of the Class, namely Geology, does in
reality include many vast lines of research; as the history and
causes of the division of plants and animals, the history of
languages, arts, and consequently of civilization. Along with these
researches, comes the question how far these histories point
backwards to a natural or a supernatural origin; and the Idea of a
First Cause is thus brought under our consideration. Finally, it is
not difficult to see that as the Physical Sciences have their
peculiar governing Ideas, which support and shape them, so the Moral
and Political Sciences also must similarly have their fundamental
and formative Ideas, the source of universal and certain truths,
each of their proper kind. But to follow out the traces of this
analogy, and to verify the existence of those Fundamental Ideas in
Morals and Politics, is a task quite out of the sphere of the work
in which we are here engaged.
[Note 28\2: _Hist. Ind. Sc._ b. xvii. c. v. sect. 2.]
4. We may now place before the reader our Classification of the
Sciences. I have added to the list of Sciences, a few not belonging
to our present subject, that the nature of the transition by which
we are to extend our philosophy into a wider and higher region may
be in some measure perceived. {139}
The Classification of the Sciences is given over leaf.
A few remarks upon it offer themselves.
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