The exposition of 1851 : $b or, Views of the industry, the science, and the government, of EnglandBabbage, Charles
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The exposition of 1851 : $b or, Views of the industry, the science, and the government, of England
Babbage, Charles
Great Exhibition (1851 : London, England)
Nor even would it be very surprising that such a commander, estimating
justly the extent of his own powers, and conscious of having planned the
best combinations of which his mind is capable, should, having issued
his orders, calmly lie down on the eve of the approaching conflict, and
find in sleep that bodily restoration so indispensable to the full
exercise of his faculties in the mighty struggle about to ensue.
§ It is not uninteresting to observe in society the opinions of its
different classes respecting honours conferred on science. Military and
naval men, especially the most eminent, feel that genius is limited by
no profession, and themselves sympathizing with it, would gladly hail as
brothers in the same distinction, the philosopher and the poet. With
lawyers the case is reversed; genius dwells not in their courts:
industry and acuteness, monopolised by one absorbing professional
subject, exclude larger views; and ribbons not being amongst the
honoraria of their own profession, they reprobate their application to
science. To this there are, however, some noble exceptions. Amongst the
brightest ornaments of their own profession, men are to be found of
larger experience and more extended views than it often produces, who
are themselves qualified to have become discoverers in other sciences.
It is much to be regretted when such powers are applied to the mere
administration, instead of to the reformation, of the laws of their
country.
It is difficult to pronounce on the opinion of the ministers of our
Church as a body: one portion of them, by far the least informed,
protests against anything which can advance the honour and the interests
of science, because, in their limited and mistaken view, science is
adverse to religion. This is not the place to argue that great question.
It is sufficient to remark, that the best-informed and most enlightened
men of all creeds and pursuits, agree that truth can never damage truth,
and that every truth is allied indissolubly by chains more or less
circuitous with all other truths; whilst error, at every step we make in
its diffusion, becomes not only wider apart and more discordant from all
truths, but has also the additional chance of destruction from all rival
errors.
All established religions are, and must be in practice, political
engines—they have all a strong tendency to self-aggrandisement. Our own
is by no means exempt from this very natural infirmity.
The Church has been reproached with endeavouring to appropriate to
itself all those professorships in our Universities which are connected
with science: it is however certain that the larger portion of these
ill-remunerated offices have been filled by clergymen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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