Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Keith Edkins and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) Page numbers enclosed by curly braces (example: {25}) have been incorporated to facilitate the use of the Table of Contents. * * * * * THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF NATIONAL PROGRESS, INCLUDING THAT OF MORALITY. G. GORE, L.L.D., F.R.S., _Author of "The Art of Scientific Discovery;" "The Principles and Practice of Electro-deposition;" "The Art of Electro-metallurgy;" &c._ [Illustration] NATIONS ADVANCE BY NEW KNOWLEDGE. WILLIAMS AND NORGATE, 14, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON; AND 20, SOUTH FREDERICK STREET, EDINBURGH. 1882. * * * * * To the President (the Rev. N. Watson, F.R.S.), the Vice Presidents, the Council and Members of the Birmingham Philosophical Society, I dedicate the following small treatise, in appreciation of the fact, that although only a young Society, they have certified in a substantial manner the views persistently advocated by me respecting the National importance of Scientific Investigation, and have shown so intelligent an example of devotion to public welfare by establishing a Fund for the Endowment of original Scientific Research. GEORGE GORE. _The Institute of Scientific Research,_ _Birmingham._ * * * * * THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF NATIONAL PROGRESS. ------ CONTENTS. ------ PREFACE. CHAPTER I. PAGE THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF MATERIAL PROGRESS 1 CHAPTER II. THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF MENTAL AND MORAL PROGRESS 83 CHAPTER III. NEW TRUTH, AND ITS GENERAL RELATION TO HUMAN PROGRESS 157 CHAPTER IV. THE PROMOTION OF ORIGINAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 170 * * * * * THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF NATIONAL PROGRESS. ------ NEW KNOWLEDGE IMPARTS NEW POWER. ------ PREFACE. As there exists at the present time in this country a considerable degree of uneasiness in the public mind respecting our ability to maintain our position in the race of progress, and as our future success as a nation depends largely upon science, it is desirable to call attention to the great public importance of _new_ scientific knowledge, and to the means of promoting its development. Although the illustrations given in this book of the importance of such knowledge to mankind, constitute but a small fraction of the number which might be adduced, they are sufficient to show that by the neglect of scientific investigation, we are sacrificing our welfare as a nation to an enormous extent.