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Astronomy is not to assist the mind to lofty contemplation； but to
enable mariners to verify degrees of latitude and regulate clocks。
A college is not designed to train and discipline the mind； but to
utilize science； and become a school of technology。 Greek and
Latin exercises are comparatively worthless； and even mathematics；
unless they can be converted into practical use。 Philosophy； as
ordinarily understood；that is； metaphysics；is most idle of all；
since it does not pertain to mundane wants。 Hence the old Grecian
philosopher labored in vain； and still more profitless were the
disquisitions of the scholastics of the Middle Ages； since they
were chiefly used to prop up unintelligible creeds。 Theology is
not of much account； since it pertains to mysteries we cannot
solve。 It is not with heaven or hell； or abstract inquiries； or
divine certitudes； that we have to do； but the things of earth；
things that advance our material and outward condition。 To be rich
and comfortable is the end of life；not meditations on abstract
and eternal truth； such as elevate the soul or prepare it for a
future and endless life。 The certitudes of faith； of love； of
friendship； are of small value when compared with the blessings of
outward prosperity。 Utilitarianism is the true philosophy； for
this confines us to the world where we are born to labor； and
enables us to make acquisitions which promote our comfort and ease。
The chemist and the manufacturer are our greatest benefactors； for
they make for us oils and gases and paints；things we must have。
The philosophy of Bacon is an immense improvement on all previous
systems； since it heralds the jubilee of trades； the millennium of
merchants； the schools of thrift； the apostles of physical
progress； the pioneers of enterprise；the Franklins and
Stephensons and Tyndalls and Morses of our glorious era。 Its
watchword is progress。 All hail； then； to the electric telegraph
and telephones and Thames tunnels and Crystal Palaces and Niagara
bridges and railways over the Rocky Mountains！ The day of our
deliverance is come； the nations are saved； the Brunels and the
Fieldses are our victors and leaders！ Crown them with Olympic
leaves； as the heroes of our great games of life。 And thou； O
England！ exalted art thou among the nations；not for thy Oxfords
and Westminsters； not for thy divines and saints and martyrs and
poets； not for thy Hookers and Leightons and Cranmers and Miltons
and Burkes and Lockes； not for thy Reformation； not for thy
struggles for liberty；but for thy Manchesters and Birminghams；
thy Portsmouth shipyards； thy London docks； thy Liverpool
warehouses； thy mines of coal and iron； thy countless mechanisms by
which thou bringest the wealth of nations into thy banks； and art
enabled to buy the toil of foreigners and to raise thy standards on
the farthest battlements of India and China。 These conquests and
acquisitions are real； are practical； machinery over life； the
triumph of physical forces； dominion over waves and winds；these
are the great victories which consummate the happiness of man； and
these are they which flow from the philosophy which Bacon taught。
Now Macaulay does not directly say all these things； but these are
the spirit and gist of the interpretation which he puts upon
Bacon's writings。 The philosophy of Bacon leads directly to these
blessings； and these constitute its great peculiarity。 And it
cannot be denied that the new era which Bacon heralded was fruitful
in these very things；that his philosophy encouraged this new
development of material forces； but it may be questioned whether he
had not something else in view than mere utility and physical
progress； and whether his method could not equally be applied to
metaphysical subjects； whether it did not pertain to the whole
domain of truth； and take in the whole realm of human inquiry。 I
believe that Bacon was interested； not merely in the world of
matter； but in the world of mind； that he sought to establish
principles from which sound deductions might be made； as well as to
establish reliable inductions。 Lord Campbell thinks that a perfect
system of ethics could be made out of his writings； and that his
method is equally well adapted to examine and classify the
phenomena of the mind。 He separated the legitimate paths of human
inquiry； giving his attention to poetry and politics and
metaphysics； as well as to physics。 Bacon does not sneer as
Macaulay does at the ancient philosophers； he bears testimony to
their genius and their unrivalled dialectical powers； even if he
regards their speculations as frequently barren。 He does not
flippantly ridicule the homoousian and the homoiousian as mere
words； but the expression and exponent of profound theological
distinctions； as every theologian knows them to be。 He does not
throw dirt on metaphysical science if properly directed； still less
on noble inquiries after God and the mysteries of life。 He is
subjective as well as objective。 He treats of philosophy in its
broadest meaning； as it takes in the province of the understanding；
the memory； and the will； as well as of man in society。 He speaks
of the principles of government and of the fountains of law； of
universal justice； of eternal spiritual truth。 So that Playfair
judiciously observes （and he was a scientist） 〃that it was not by
sagacious anticipations of science； afterwards to be made in
physics； that his writings have had so powerful an influence； as in
his knowledge of the limits and resources of the human
understanding。 It would be difficult to find another writer； prior
to Locke； whose works are enriched with so many just observations
on mere intellectual phenomena。 What he says of the laws of
memory； or imagination； has never been surpassed in subtlety。 No
man ever more carefully studied the operation of his own mind and
the intellectual character of others。〃 Nor did Bacon despise
metaphysical science； only the frivolous questions that the old
scholastics associated with it； and the general barrenness of their
speculations。 He surely would not have disdained the subsequent
inquiries of Locke； or Berkeley； or Leibnitz； or Kant。 True； he
sought definite knowledge；something firm to stand upon； and which
could not be controverted。 No philosophy can be sound when the
principle from which deductions are made is not itself certain or
very highly probable； or when this principle； pushed to its utmost
logical sequence； would lead to absurdity； or even to a conflict
with human consciousness。 To Bacon the old methods were wrong； and
it was his primal aim to reform the scientific methods in order to
arrive at truth； not truth for utilitarian ends chiefly； but truth
for its own sake。 He loved truth as Palestrina loved music； or
Raphael loved painting； or Socrates loved virtue。
Now the method which was almost exclusively employed until Bacon's
time is commonly called the deductive metho