The Scientific Basis of National Progress, Including that of Morality

Author of The Art of Scientific Discovery; The Principles and Practice of Electro-deposition; The Art of Electro-metallurgy; &c.
NATIONS ADVANCE BY NEW KNOWLEDGE.
14, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON; And 20, SOUTH FREDERICK STREET, EDINBURGH. 1882.
To the President (the Rev. N. Watson, F.R.S.), the Vice Presidents, the Council and Members of the Birmingham Philosophical Society, I dedicate the following small treatise, in appreciation of the fact, that although only a young Society, they have certified in a substantial manner the views persistently advocated by me respecting the National importance of Scientific Investigation, and have shown so intelligent an example of devotion to public welfare by establishing a Fund for the Endowment of original Scientific Research.
GEORGE GORE.
The Institute of Scientific Research,
Birmingham.
NEW KNOWLEDGE IMPARTS NEW POWER.
As there exists at the present time in this country a considerable degree of uneasiness in the public mind respecting our ability to maintain our position in the race of progress, and as our future success as a nation depends largely upon science, it is desirable to call attention to the great public importance of new scientific knowledge, and to the means of promoting its development.
Although the illustrations given in this book of the importance of such knowledge to mankind, constitute but a small fraction of the number which might be adduced, they are sufficient to show that by the neglect of scientific investigation, we are sacrificing our welfare as a nation to an enormous extent.
The greatest obstacle to the discovery of new knowledge in this country, lies in a wide spread ignorance of the dependence of human welfare upon scientific research. I propose therefore to show in a brief manner, that the essential starting-point of human progress, lies in scientific discovery; also that new truths are evolved by original research made in accordance with scientific methods; and to illustrate these statements by examples; also to point out how such research can be encouraged.