Theories of Men: The Difference Between a Fact and an Inference

Theories of Men The Difference Between a Fact and an Inference By Elder John A. Widtsoe, of the Council of the Twelve I WAS in the Library of Congress. I had sought out the alcove in which the Librarian places the best recent books — those that contain the serious thought of the age. Looking down upon me from the top shelf were selections from the writings of two of the most successful university presidents of America. Biography, criti- cism, philosophy, religion, art, science and travel crowded the shelves. It was a place to meet the many minds of this day. And so, I pro- ceeded to browse! I, Times certainly have changed, said I, as I turned the pages of the books. A few hundred years ago, when science was in its swaddling clothes, the opinions of men, unsupported by facts, but maintained by antiquity and authority, swayed the thoughts of man- kind. Then it was possible to believe — and to build one's faith upon it — that mice were generated by musty linen, that the earth was flat and that hook-nosed witches rode on broomsticks through the air to visit his satanic majesty. All that one needed was to set up some imaginary system, such as that all things happen in sequence of sevens, and to reason upon it, and lo! he had conceived a phil- osophy, fit for public consumption. Theories of men held the center of the stage, and, as a result, superstition and its concom- itants, fear of spirit and blindness of intellect, covered the earth. We speak of those days as the Dark Ages. II. Now the day glories in certain and verifiable knowledge, and as I looked them through, the books revealed on every page the basis of the change that has come over the thinking world. Superstition has been largely banished. Men walk in the clear light of knowledge, unafraid of darkness, for they know it is fleeting, and conscious of a dominating power over nature. Spontaneous generation, the flat earth, and the witch, have all been relegated to an ignorant past. And all this — the greatest change in human thinking, and the most com- plete power over natural forces — has come because men have given facts precedence over inferences. Truth as it may be determined by the senses of man has been given the right of way over "theories of men." Out of the change has come a new day, the greatest day!

John A. Widtsoe President of the British and European missions, was born in Norway, January 31, 1872. He became a member of the Church April 3, 1884, ordained to the office of Seventy, August 5, 1898, entered the university of Gottingen, Germany, and graduated from that institution with the degree Ph. D., in 1899, was director of Utah Experiment Station from 1900 to 1905 and director of the department of Agriculture at the Brigham Young University at Provo,

THEORIES OF MEN 195 III. As I turned the pages of the books, the meaning of a fact, a truth, was repeatedly set forth. "Truth," said Joseph Smith, "is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come." And knowledge, truthful knowledge, can be obtained only through the senses of man. That which we see or hear, smell or taste or feel — that becomes the safe foundation of knowledge and leads us to truth. A fact of experience becomes the unit of knowledge. Truth is built of such units. And the books, I was glad to note, made special and favorable mention of that sense of man, beyond the reach of eye or ear or nose or tongue, which brings us knowledge of the larger, unseen world. The eye, first used in the building of our modern knowledge, has been given undue prom- inence. The subtler senses are now entering upon the task of gather- ing facts for human progress. IV. The books spoke sadly, but firmly, of the limitations of human senses. How poor is unaided vision or hearing! The stars were but bright spots in the heavens until the telescope and the spectroscope came into use. Then the stars became suns in space of complex composition and motion. And water was but water until the microscope enabled the eye of man to see the world of minute living things. One of the books said, "Without instruments, man has only a peephole view of the universe." In full accord with this principle, Joseph Smith, the prophet, was provided with Urim and Thummim, holy instruments, aids to his human powers, by which he might be able to translate the engravings on the plates. V. With or without the use of instruments, the senses of man yield the facts of human experience, which alone can serve as the building blocks of all truthful knowledge. One fact, like the stone in David's sling, has often overthrown a giant, man-made theory. VI. But, said the books, and indeed they now spoke well, that restless instrument, the human mind, takes the facts of experience, arranges them, classifies and reclassifies them, builds them into new structures — and makes inferences that are more or less completely from 1905 to 1907, president of Utah Agricultural College from 1907 to 1916, and president of the University of Utah from 1916 to 1921. He was called to the council of twelve. March 17, 1921. and sustained as a member of the quorum by the general conference. April 6.1921. He is the author of many books, scien- tific and religious, and has written this year's study for the Senior class. Y. M. M. I. A-, entitled How Science Contributes to Reliqion.

196 IMPROVEMENT ERA supported by facts. Thus, the fact of the constancy of composition of any chemical compound led to the inference known as the atomic theory; the fact that an apple falls to the ground, became converted into the theory of gravitation, and the facts of the fossil's record in the rocks have become the theory of evolution. Such inferences from facts are useful in the further building of science; they are often glorious evidences of the power of the human mind; but they are only inferences of varying degrees of probability of truth approaching only the validity of facts. They are modernized, and truly better, "theories of men," but not on a par with the facts of experience. VII And now, as I read along, I discovered that many a writer of books in this enlightened day is a poor philosopher, who has not learned to distinguish between facts, the only reliable units of knowl- edge, and inferences, the guesses, more or less probable, as to the meaning of the facts. One writer builds a philosophy for universal ac- ceptance upon the theory of the electron, another upon the theory of gravitation, and a third upon the theory of evolution. If opposi- tion is voiced, the proponents of the theories rise up in mighty wrath, forgetting that they are but defending a human inference, not a fact of human observation. So, even in this enlightened age men have not wholly freed themselves from the heavy yoke of "theories of men." VIII. Here, perhaps, lies the chief danger besetting this otherwise clear-thinking age. Men become enamored of their own creations, their explanations of the universe. Much of the discord among men may be traced directly to an unintelligent allegiance to inferences; few men quarrel about facts. A truly enlightened person would tolerantly consider all inferences from knowledge, recognizing them, at the best, to be helpful conjectures concerning the meaning of the universe, none wholly representing the truth. The concern of human- ity must be to discover facts of unquestioned validity; that done, useful inferences, or hypotheses, or theories, will come as need demands or desire dictates. We must not return to the day dominated by "theories of men," for they endanger freedom of thought and action. It was surprising how many of the recent books set out to promulgate or defend inferences, or "theories of men." IX. I pondered, in the sheltered alcove of the Library, upon these matters. I thought of the youths and maidens, who, not understand- ing the difference between a fact and an inference, wreck years of their

THEORIES OF MEN 197 youth in the attempt to reconcile religion and scientific theory. A religion founded in truth accepts all facts and rests itself upon estab- lished truth. A religion founded upon truth discriminates care- fully between fact and inference. Theories of science can no more overthrow the facts of religion than the facts of science. Inferences are always subordinate to facts. For example, one cannot build a faith upon the theory of evolution, for this theory is of no higher order than any other inference, and is therefore in a state of constant change. A fact remains unchanged throughout all time; an in- ference changes as facts accumulate. A straight stick in a pool appears bent, an unchanging fact, all conditions remaining the same; the theory of light explaining the "bent" stick has already been changed several times, and is subject to more change. No scientific theory of consequence remains today as it was originally. X. One man built his house on sand, and under the storms of life his house was destroyed. So with the man who builds his life philosophy upon the "theories of men." Another built his house upon rock, and the house was unshaken by the storm. So with the man who rests his life philosophy upon facts, in spiritual as in temporal matters. He shall prevail throughout all ages. It was a pleasant hour that afternoon in the Congressional Library. May we, who glory in truth and build upon it, never confuse simple truth with the "theories of men." Washington, D. C. A Song in the Twilight Sing to me merrily, merrily, While the gloaming darkens at eve. Mingle thy voice with the melody Of the mandolin's pulsing weave; So shall the lingering twilight Bid me awhile to stay While to thy voice I listen After a perfect day! Sing to me cheerily, cheerily, While thine eyes glow with love-light clear; Mingle thy love with the melody Ere the stars of evening appear; Lingering ever with pleasure, Voiced with impassioned fire, Thy song renews the gift of love Crowning my heart's desire! Joseph Longking Townsend