Ifthistalkweretrue，I，forone，shouldnotgreatlycaretotoilintheserviceofnaturalknowledge.IthinkIwouldjustassoonbequietlychippingmyownflintaxe，afterthemannerofmyforefathersafewthousandyearsback，asbetroubledwiththeendlessmaladyofthoughtwhichnowinfestsusall，forsuchreward.ButIventuretosaythatsuchviewsarecontraryaliketoreasonandtofact.ThosewhodiscourseinsuchfashionseemtometobesointentupontryingtoseewhatisaboveNature，orwhatisbehindher，thattheyareblindtowhatstarestheminthefaceinher.
Ishouldnotventurethustospeakstronglyifmyjustificationwerenottobefoundinthesimplestandmostobviousfacts，——ifitneededmorethananappealtothemostnotorioustruthstojustifymyassertion，thattheimprovementofnaturalknowledge，whateverdirectionithastaken，andhoweverlowtheaimsofthosewhomayhavecommencedit——hasnotonlyconferredpracticalbenefitsonmen，but，insodoing，haseffectedarevolutionintheirconceptionsoftheuniverseandofthemselves，andhasprofoundlyalteredtheirmodesofthinkingandtheirviewsofrightandwrong.
Isaythatnaturalknowledge，seekingtosatisfynaturalwants，hasfoundtheideaswhichcanalonestillspiritualcravings.Isaythatnaturalknowledge，indesiringtoascertainthelawsofcomfort，hasbeendriventodiscoverthoseofconduct，andtolaythefoundationsofanewmorality.
Letustakethesepointsseparately;andfirst，whatgreatideashasnaturalknowledgeintroducedintomen’sminds？
IcannotbutthinkthatthefoundationsofallnaturalknowledgewerelaidwhenthereasonofmanfirstcamefacetofacewiththefactsofNature;whenthesavagefirstlearnedthatthefingersofonehandarefewerthanthoseofboth;thatitisshortertocrossastreamthantoheadit;thatastonestopswhereitisunlessitbemoved，andthatitdropsfromthehandwhichletsitgo;thatlightandheatcomeandgowiththesun;thatsticksburnawayinafire;thatplantsandanimalsgrowanddie;thatifhestruckhisfellowsavageablowhewouldmakehimangry，andperhapsgetablowinreturn，whileifheofferedhimafruithewouldpleasehim，andperhapsreceiveafishinexchange.Whenmenhadacquiredthismuchknowledge，theoutlines，rudethoughtheywere，ofmathematics，ofphysics，ofchemistry，ofbiology，ofmoral，economical，andpoliticalscience，weresketched.Nordidthegermofreligionfailwhensciencebegantobud.Listentowordswhich，thoughnew，areyetthreethousandyearsold：——