“Youth, in its nearness to inspiration, sometimes sees more clearly than
age, with its academic dependence upon theory and precedent and what men
call the wisdom of experience. When this wisdom is based on perception,
conscious or otherwise, of eternal purpose, it transcends the vision of
youth. But when it is based on perception of physical phenomena and the
accumulated theories of other men, youth has an inspiration and a faith
that leads it, all unknowing, to the brink of great mysteries.” This
was followed by an allusion to those “befogged in precedent, physical
phenomena, and intellectual theory,” who were “unable to follow where
they should have led.”
“There has seemed to be a good deal of genuine feeling underlying the
humorous persiflage through the pencil about the scientific state of
mind,” Mr. Kendal suggested. “Hasn’t the time come when we can reach the
scientific type of mind? And isn’t it worth while to do so? And if so,
what is the best psychological line of attack?”
“The scientist is not by any means hopeless, but like many men in
your plane, he is overbalanced and therefore unbalanced by physical
considerations. Physical phenomena are of vital importance in your life,
and their study and analysis has led to a degree of material progress
which would have been incredible to the third—and all but incredible to
the second—generation back. It is only because scientists have persisted
in the study of physical phenomena that you are enabled to understand in
some part what is now being given you. The misapprehension has been that
physical phenomena alone could be recognized. Those who have believed
that have denied the existence of the greatest and most persistent of all
forces. Attempts to explain spiritual phenomena by physical formulæ have
been found unsuccessful by every one save those who took refuge in denial
of the thing that moved them to deny, the eternal and indestructible
purpose.
“When to their laboratories scientists bring perception of spiritual
phenomena exceeding any material manifestation known to man in strength
and significance, then they may hope to discover and develop a force
beside which all known forces are insignificant. Science is the ladder
by which life may quickly ascend, but until science recognizes a
spiritual force as the one essential force, of which all other forces are
incidental phenomena, progress must be limited.”
“Then, generally speaking,” Mr. Kendal said, “perhaps the most effective
appeal to scientists would be the appeal to scientific ambition.”
“Always the most effective means to win any man to anything is to appeal
to his purpose. If it be personal, appeal to his vanity. If it be
progressive, appeal to his eagerness. If it be intellectual, pique his
curiosity. Scientists, like others, are divided in purpose.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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