The Metaphysical Foundation of Buddhism and Modern Science
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in relation to their strict scientific purpose. Towards the end <strong>of</strong> its long<br />
life, the doctrine lost its utility <strong>and</strong> turned into an obstructive agency.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Platonic group <strong>of</strong> notions which have been considered have none <strong>of</strong><br />
the merits <strong>of</strong> the Aristotelian set. In fact, they are philosophic, <strong>and</strong> in<br />
the narrow sense are not scientific. <strong>The</strong>y suggest no detailed<br />
observation. Indeed it has always been a reproach to Plato that he<br />
diverted interest from observation <strong>of</strong> the particular facts. So far as<br />
concerns political theory, <strong>and</strong> in particular jurisprudence, this accusation<br />
is certainly untrue, <strong>and</strong> arises from the habit <strong>of</strong> concentrating interest<br />
on his Dialogues in proportion to their literary brilliance. Nevertheless<br />
the assertion is undoubtedly true in respect to physical science. But Plato<br />
had another message. Where Aristotle said ‘observe’ <strong>and</strong> ‘classify’, the<br />
moral <strong>of</strong> Plato’s teaching is the importance <strong>of</strong> the study <strong>of</strong> mathematics.<br />
Of course, neither <strong>of</strong> them was so stupid as to dissuade from observation<br />
or, on the other h<strong>and</strong>, to deny the utility <strong>of</strong> mathematics. Probably<br />
Aristotle thought that the mathematical knowledge <strong>of</strong> his day was about<br />
as much as was wanted for the purpose <strong>of</strong> physical science. Any further<br />
progress could only minister to an unpractical curiosity about subtle<br />
abstractions.<br />
An intense belief that a knowledge <strong>of</strong> mathematical relations would<br />
prove the key to unlock the mysteries <strong>of</strong> the relatedness within Nature<br />
was ever at the back <strong>of</strong> Plato’s cosmological speculations. In one passage<br />
he reprobates the swinish ignorance <strong>of</strong> those who have failed to study