Te first obstacle: primary experience

3 2

Chapter wo

Te first obstacle: primary experience



n the ormation o a sienti mind the rst ostale is primary expe riene, the experiene we plae  eore and aoe that itiism whih is ne

essarily an integral pat o the sienti mind. nd eause no expliit riti

ism has een rought to ear on it, primary experiene annot in any ir

umstanes e regarded as utterly reliale. lthough we shall e poiding

any proos o the raglty o prmary knowledge, we are keen t o express here and now our strong opposition to a aile kind o philosophy. The phi losophy we oppose is one that rests on more or less uneuioal , more or less romantiised sensualism, and that laims its lessons ome diretly om a

lear, distint reliale and onstantgivenwhih is always oered to an al

ways open mind

Here then is the philosophial argument we shall e adaning the sienti mind must e ormedagainstnature, against all that omes om natures impetus and instrution, within us and outside us, against natural alurements and olourl ders e ats. he s ent mnd must e omed

y eing reomed t an only lea rom nature y puriing natural su

stanes and y rnging order to a jume o phenomena. Psyhology itsel

would eome sienti i, like physis, it eame disursie and i it real ised that oth within us and outside us, we understand nature y resisting it

rom our point o iew, the only legitimate intuition in psyhology is the intuition o an inhiition. This though is not the plae to deelop an essen

tially reatie psyhology. e simply wish to draw attention to the at that the psyhology o the sienti mind we are putting orward here orre

sponds to a knd o psyhology that od e generalised

Understanding the point o this argument is airly diult at rst e

E MN  E SCENC MND

cse owdys sciece echig i jior csses  secodryschool level hs slipped ewee re d oserver  lrgely correc rgely crreced

ook Physics exooks piely copied o oe oher s hy hve

ee or he ls y yers oer or childre  very socilise d d ioi

lised kid o sciece which hks o he very crios perec o he sylls or or copeiive exiios c oes o e regrded s atura

B i is o   l rl; i is rl o oger.  is o loger the sciece o

ow d coryside.  is a sciece developed i  d lorory y oe

heless hvig he disicio o eig prodced i  orory   y e  cse o he ocl eecriciy sio which whe i spplies he power lso

rigs s he pheoe o hantphyss  h ire which Brhelo

sw s he sig o  ew er; experieces d ooks re hereore ow o soe exe deched o or pri ry oservios

This ws o he cse i he prescieic period i he eigheeh cery Sciece ooks cold he e eiher good or d. They were o s

 jec o he scriy d contro o edcio ocils Whe hey oe soe sig o scriy his ws oe y eed socieies i provicil ow whose  eers were drw o he os ddleheded d es coced o

circles. So sciece ooks startedro re They ook  ieres i every

dy lie They poplrised poplr kowedge wiho hvig he hidde

iellecl ged h soeies kes or poplrisig works oo high

row Wriers d reders hogh  he se level. Scieic clre ws weighed dow s i were y he ss d vriey o ior works which grely oered hose o rel vle  is very sri kig h he opposie is he cse i or dy whe ooks h poplrise scieic kowedge re  reively rre

Ope  ode sciece exook d yo will see h i press sci

ece i reio o  overll heory s orgic srcre is so ovios h i

wold e very hrd o skip chpers. Scrcely hve he rs ew pgs ee

 persed whe he voice o coo sese is sileced reders' qesios ow go eirely heeded The old preory prse Der eder' cold esily  e  replced y  severe Py eio chidre' The ook sks is ow qes

ios The ook cods

Ope  eigheehcery sciece ook d yo will relise h  i is  rooed i everydy lie The hor coverses wih rede rs like oe ivig 

lk i polie sociey. The ieress d coces h esposes re atura

Tke or ex ple he qesio o he cse o hder The er o hder will e ked o d here will e  ep o show reders h his er is grodless wi h he hor eelig he eed o repe he od oser

vio h whe here is hder he dger is over or lighig le c

GSN BCELD

 ki Ths i he A Poceles ook eiled a Nature dans aformaton du Tonnerre et a reproducton des Etres vvants  1 769 ) he rs pge o he  prece ses h  wriig o Thder y c hie ieio hs lwys

ee o odere where possile he disgreele ipressios h his phe

oeo o he osphere sly hs o  iiy o Persos o ll ges

whever heir sex d codiio How y Persos hve  o see who  pssed heir dys i viole giio d heir ighs i orl disqie' The A Pocele devoes  whole c hper o reecios o he righ h h

der cses  d his s o o e he loges chper i he ook coverig soe weyree pges. He disigishes or kids oer which he lyses i deil All reders whoever hey y e hereore hve  chce o d

ig i his ook he elees o heir ow digosis This digosis ws  sel sice he hosiliy o re he seeed soehow ore direc Now

dys he i cses o or xiey re h oes. The grees serig o h eigs ody is iiced y oher hs. Nrl pheoe hve

ee redered hrless y eig explied We shll dersd how dier

e re ids sepred y  cery d  hl o ie i we sk orseves wheher he ollowig pssge  ke o Goehes Werther, sill correspods

o  psychologicl reliy:

Befoe the danng ended the ashes ofghtnng whh fo soe te we had seen on he hoon ut whh I had untl then passed o as sue

ghtnng nen sed onsdeay and he sound o f thunde downed the

us Thee ades suddenly e he dane folowed y the panes

hee was genea dsode and the us stopped    I t s o hese auses that I attute he sange expessons adopted y soe of he ades The

os sense lady thee wen and sa n a oe he a to the wndow and he nges n he eas Kneelng n on o f he and uyng he head

n he lap was anohe lady A thd had ep eween he wo sses

eang the and weepng opousy Soe lades waned o go hoe

Othes gew neasngy dsaught and dd no even have suen

pesene of nd to defend theseves aganst he teey of soe audaous young en who seeed ent on plung o the lps ofthese fa ades n dsess the payes hat hey n he fgh wee sendng up

o heaven

 wold see ip ossile  hik  o iclde  rrive o his kid i

 ode ovel Sch  cclio o silliess wold see relisic.

Nowdys he er o hder hs ee overcoe.  is experieced i ll

oly i solide  co ec s i  soci grop sice we hve s  grop

THE ORMTO OF THE SIET MID

eniely rationaised he heoy ohunde individual  o iaionaliy ae   now bu oddiie ha ae onealed. We would lauh a Goehe' hoe

loin hue and ua in in ode o oe a dane

The eieni book oeie aquie a aiula one by viue o i eade' oial a  Aonoy o hoe ovin in he be ile

 u bin in he e o he ea and he ood Claude Coie, a hola

and a an o ea aiene, bein hi book on oe  a book uh quoed in i day  wih hee wod Sine hee wa a Cou a heaed debae a o whehe "Coe wa auline o einine in Fenh, one o he eld

 ahal, wihin o end hi Shola' diue, announed ha in ode o

ee whehe i hould be a o e we needed o li u i ail' 2 Mode ien

i would no doub no ee o he oinion o a eldahal They would  no o on endlely eeain e abou oe' ail and bead: o quoe Coie, Ju a  he ail i held o be alway he hade a o an anial o

kin, o he Coe' ail ha alway been a had o exlain a he Godian  kno o undo'.

n he eveneen enuy, dediaion in iene book ae oe l

oe in hei aey han hoe ound in lieay wok, i ha i oible

They ae in any ae all he oe hokin o he ode ieni ind, indieen a i i o oliial auhoiy Hee i one exale o hee uni

ainable dediaion. The wie La Chabe i dediain hi book on di

eion o ihelieu Be ha a i ay, y Lod, i i eain ha  owe o  you y Knowlede o hi ube' o he oah, ha i) He oe on o

ove i hu Had  no een wha you have ade o Fane,  would neve

have iained ha hee wa in our bodie a ii whih ould oen all had hin, weeen he bie, and unie he diiila, and whih ould hen  ake enh and viour ow ino all a, ivin o uly o eah all ha

wa needed'. The oah i hu a kind o ihelieu, he ie inie o

he huan body.

Thee i oen an exhane o view beween auho and eade, be

ween he crios and he earned Fo exale, a whole eie o lee wa

ublihed in 787 unde he ollowin ile Exeien on  he oeie

o lizad, in boh hei ehly and hei liqueou o, in he eaen o

veneeal and heei di eae'. A avelle livin in eieen a Ponalie

had een any blak eole in Louiiana ue heelve o veneeal di

eae by eain anoli' a kind o iuana) He hihly eoend hi ea

 en. A oue o hee lizad a day odue wondel eul whih ae  bouh o Viq d' Azyr' aenion} And in a nube o lee, Viq d'Azy

hank hi orreonden

The a o ediion ha an eiheenhenuy iene book had o 3 6

G   T O  B   H E L  R D

ay alon wih i i an obale o he book' oani uue. A inle exale will ue o how hi wellknown eaue When dealin wih

e in hei elebaedhysiqe d Monde ublihed in Pai in 780 Baon de Maivez and Gouie eaded i a boh hei duy and a ae o ide

o exaine oyix dieen heoie beoe ooin he ore one, whih wa hei own The eduion o erudiion an ihly be aken a he ak o

a ood ode iene book.  an ovide a eaue o he yholoial dieene bewee n ieni ea Seveneenh and eiheenhenury wi

e quoe Pliny a oe equenly han we ouelve quoe he. The di

ane o Pliny o Baon i le han o Baon o ode ieni. The

ieni  ind oee eoeially, no aiheially

n i dayoday eahin, ode iene kee away o any ee

ene o eudiion ndeed, i only udinly ake oo o he hioy o

ieni idea Soial oani like univeiy libaie ae oewha

 uniially lieay and hioial wok o lile value bu ee hoe ien

i book ha ae eihe heei o u lain aial  have looked in vain o ookery book in he univeiy libary a D ion On he ohe hand howeve he kill o diille, ee, and ook ave ie in he eiheenh

enuy o any wok whih ou ubli libaie aelly oneve

The oneoay ieni ouniy i o hooeneou and o

loely uaded ha he wok o ad o diubed auho ae had o ub

lih. Thi wa no he ae a hunded and y yea ao  have beoe e a  book eniled e Micscope moderne por dier a natre par e tre

d n nove  aamic chymiqe o  on voit n novea mchanisme phy

siqe niverse The auho i Chale  abiqueau, advoaeaou and he Kin' enineeoiian The book wa ublihed in Pai in  7 8   We ee hee he univee uounded by ineal ae ha odue diillaion.

The un i a he ene and eaue only ve leaue in diaee We ead

ha The Moon i no a body bu ily he eeion o ola e in he aeial vaul'. The Kin' oiian ha hu enealied he leon leaed

o a onave irro. We ae old ha The a ae bu he hill haein

o ou line o ih on dieen aeial bubble The yoai ein

o he power o he aze an be eonied hee  yie a edoinan

sjective exeiene ha u be eied in ode o eah he one o

he obeive a, he a ha i indieen o he aze ein uon i  have

eveal ie obeved ik eole in he aylu ain deanly a he un a abiqueau doe.  w ould be had o nd a ublihe o hei wild idea

They would no nd an Abb de la Chaelle who, havin by ode o he Chanello ead uh a luubaion, would ude i in hee e a he ave i he oial a i had alway bee n houh, he ay, ha obe oe

3 7

T H  F  R M       F  H  S          M   D

ow cae an foun our eye Rabqueau revere  erecve an  

e facuy of een a oe an n objec    Rabqueau work an

 nounce a correce Meayc, reconceon overcoe an oral be

avour ae ore ure, al of wc crown  work

Tee eneral reark on book a eac e r eon wl er

a uce o ow e fference n e r conac w cenc ou

a e wo ero we w o caracere ere we o be accue of un

any ba wrer an foren e oo one, our anwer woul be a

oo wrer are no necearly oe wo enjoy ucce An nce we u

uy ow e cenc n wa bo n a free an alo anarccal for

 no one en o cool a any rae  a wa e cae n e eeen cen

ury, we are nee oble o coner al a fae cence wc crue

e rue, all a fale cence aganst wc e rue cenc n u n fac be conue To u u recenc ou lve n e wor  

 no reguar a  o ay  oe no lve uner orer ke e cenc

ou rane n oca laboraore an coe n coobook e al

o on o ee a workn fro a lly eren on of vew, we ave o coe o e very ae concuon

 

n a lvely book, Moe a cearly  own e o leane car

acer of eeencenuy cence n con back o , we y w

o a a few on relave o e nterest, a cllke nere n a way, en aroue by e exerenal cence an alo o oer a arcular nerea

on of a nere Our aruen ere  a folow: by vn eae

afacon o curoy an by ulyn e oorune for curoy

far fro encouran cenc culure we ner  e relace knowlee  by woneren an ea by ae

n ryn o reve e ycooy of e aue oberver, we al ee

e con of an era of facly wc wll reove e sense ofthe proem fro cenc ou an w   e ove ower of rore Many ex ale wl be aken ere fro elecrcal cence an we a ee ow lae an ow exceonal e ae a eoeraon were n e eore of 

ac eecrcy, for ony w Coulob orng cence were e r c

enc aw of elecrcy foun n oer wor, oe reaer wl, n our vew, reale a ey erue e any book evoe o elecrcal cence n

e eeen cenury ow cul  wa o forake e vvne of r

ary obervaon, o ake e colour ou of eecrcal enoena an o r

exerence of  aracal feaure an  euar aec  wl en be

  S       H    R D

cear a wen e erca r coe o onae  oe  no even ve

e corec deneato of enoena nor even a wellorere, ruy erar

cca ecron of enoena

Once e yery of elecrc y a been accee  an a yey a

uc  away accee w alacry  eecrcy ave re o an eay c

ence, a cenc e a wa vey cloe o naural ory an far fro e calcu

aon a eore wc a been raualy con no ecanc, o

c an aronoy aer uyen an ewon Prele y  ll wrn a

Eecrca exeren are of al oer e ceare, an e o eean,

a e coa of looy exb Tee r eore, eore eal

n w uc coex enoena, u reene eelve a e one,

 ben e nenab le conon for e o be aun an neren

o a ublc ovn n e be ocal crcle  Pun  anoer way an eak

n now a a ooer ee ore reene eelve bearn e

ark of an ovous and deeseated emprcm nellecual lo n  o

leaan o be conne o erc, o cal a fac a fac an o forb e

earc for law!   l ue oay a a oe ul wo are ba a

yc uneran erca forula Tey reay beeve a all for

ua, even oe en ro a y orane eory are erca

Tey ane a a forua  ju a e of nuber n ere an wc

 you u ave o aly o every arcuar cae Moreover, e erc of 

e r elecrcy  o vey beuln   no ly an obou bu alo a coourfu emrcs m no a aer of avn o uneran  you ony  nee o ee  ere elecrcal enoena are concee e book of e wor  a cure book ou ave o u  ae wou ryn o anc

ae e ure n ore Here we can be ure a we cou never ave foreeen wa we are een Preey ry ay a

he ee sok se,   be osdeed atevey wll aea alos

as surrsg as ay dsovery ha he Isaa Newo] ade ad e a

who ould ave ade a dsovery by a reasog a ro woud have bee ekoed a os exraordary geus bu eera dsoveres have bee ade so u y ade ha  s oe he owes o aue

a o hua geus ha exe our wode wh rese o he

Preley oube a a xe ea abou all cenc covere be

n ue o cance Even were  own covere are concee, c over

e e a aeny urue w rearkable cenc knowee of ce

ca exerenaon, Preley oe e faonabe  n an erae e eo   reca connecon a a e  o e u roucve exeren So

T TI F T ITI D

gre is his spirin  empiric phisphy h hugh is nhing her  hn  in f ccsin cuse f experime n Accring  Priesey every

 hing is he wr f chnce Fr him uc previs ver resn Le us here

fre why cncenre n he specce pye u befre us. Le us py n

enin  he physicis wh simpy rgnises he specce This is n nger  he cse nwys when wh ruses ur sense f wnermen is he ex  perimeners ingenuiy n he hereici ns sres f genius An in rer   me cer he humn rigin f he phenmenn h hs been pruce

 he experimeners nmes re che  ubess fr  ie   hec

 hey cnsruce Exmpes f his re he Zeemn effec he Sr effec

 he Rmn effec he mpn eec n s he bnnesDure eec

which cu serve s n exmpe f wh is in  wy  soca ct hving  been pruce by he cbrin f mins

Prescienic hugh es n pursue he suy f crey eimie

 phenmen t dos not sk vaaton but ath va This is  pricu

ry chrcerisic feure he serch fr vriey es he min frm ne

bjec  nher unmehicy; he min ny ims herefre  he exen sin f cnceps. The serch fr vriin is che   pricur phenm

bjec  nher unmehicy; he min ny ims herefre  he exen sin f cnceps. The serch fr vriin is che   pricur phenm

In document Formation of Scientific Mind l (Page 22-38)