No Inanimate Object Is Ever Fully Determined

Admittedly, Scientific Authority Is Not Distributed Evenly Throughout The Body Of Scientists; Some Distinguished Members Of The Profession Predominate Over Others Of A More Junior Standing.

My Title Is Intended To Suggest That The Community Of Scientists Is Organized In A Way Which Resembles Certain Features Of A Body Politic And Works According To Economic Principles Similar To Those By Which The Production Of Material Goods Is Regulated.

We Know More Than We Can Tell.

And The Actual Achievements Of Biology Are Explanations In Terms Of Mechanisms Founded On Physics And Chemistry, Which Is Not The Same Thing As Explanations In Terms Of Physics And Chemistry.

The Amount Of Knowledge Which We Can Justify From Evidence Directly Available To Us Can Never Be Large. The Overwhelming Proportion Of Our Factual Beliefs Continue Therefore To Be Held At Second Hand Through Trusting Others, And In The Great Majority Of Cases Our Trust Is Placed In The Authority Of Comparatively Few People Of Widely Acknowledged Standing.