II - NOTES ON THE SHAPE AND STRUCTURE OF SOME PARTS OF THE ALPS, WITH REFERENCE TO DENUDATION (1865)

Summary

1. It is often said that controversies advance science. I believe, on the contrary, that they retard it—that they are wholly mischievous, and that all good scientific work is done in silence, till done completely. For party in politics, there are some conceivable, though no tenable, reasons; but scientific controversy in its origin must be always either an effort to obscure a discovery of which the fame is envied, or to claim credit for a discovery not yet distinctly established: and it seems to me there are but two courses for a man of sense respecting disputed statements;—if the matter of them be indeed doubtful, to work at it, and put questions about it, but not argue about it; so the thing will come out in its own time, or, if it stays in, will be no stumbling-block; but if the matter of them be not doubtful, to describe the facts which prove it, and leave them for what they are worth.

2. The subject of the existing glacial controversy between older and younger geologists seems to unite both characters. In some part, the facts are certain and need no discussion; in other points, uncertain, and incapable of being discussed.