Repository | Book | Chapter

Bacon said, Nature offers not only negatives but also affirmatives. For, he explained, the intellect must rest on affirmatives. This verb, "rest", is lovely, rest assured. But the definite article should go: 'some intellects' is more apt than "the intellect". Some intellects must rest on affirmatives; others are restless. Science puts questions to Nature, said admirable Einstein, and She can say No and she can say Maybe, but she never says Yes. This is a clear-cut disagreement. It influences attitudes to any disagreement, as hearing Nature say Yes ends it. Bacon hated disagreement; Einstein loved it. Bacon saw it as expressing contempt and disrespect; Einstein saw it as expressing appreciation and respect. Perhaps he felt that parties in debates could love each other like parties to a chess game. Also, Bacon said, when engaged in dispute, we want to win; Einstein appealed to those who appreciated a good exchange. Einstein is the watershed — not only as a colossal physicist but also as a grand philosopher. Popper's philosophy of science, on the new side of the divide, is an elaboration of his, as Popper noted with admiration and delight.

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-2946-8_7

Full citation: