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Otago Daily Times, Issue 5276, 18 January 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

Sir,—Before the public can fairly understand the position taken up by Mr Ryley and his supporters, a few preliminaries ■ should ba settled.- -.

First, What is this mental and moral science that Professor Macgregor now teaches? Science, we all patter, is the knowledge obtained by collecting and classifying facts. Now what facts do the professor's students collect and classify ? The kuowledge they gain will, of course, be formulated in laws, provisional or otherwise according to the nature of the induction resorted to. Well, what laws have they arrived at ? I take up the University Calendar for 1876, and find in papers set at the University of Otago, questions relating to 7 the fallacy of excluding middle nature, o£ commercial credit, —- Hedonism, -—. doe. trine of free - will, — cranial nerves, —7 nomenaliatic controvery, &c. &c. It appears, then, that the students have investigated logic and political economy, the morphology of our 'nervous system, and tr certain vague region which I don't understand.; Who will enlighten my ignorance ? Who will tell me clearly the subdivision of mental and moral science ? This being settled, we shall know exactly what Professor Macgregor teaches.

. The next question is, what are the subdivisions of " moral philosophy , and political economy," the subjects to be taught by the professor to be elected to the new Chair? As for the dismal science, we know it of old ; but"moral philosophy," what is it ? Is it not part of Professor Macgregor's work already? # I ask this purely to get information, and as it is uufair to ask and never _ive;. here ib d. choice morsel for Mr, Borrie. who said his audience didn't know what materialism was. Horrible libel on the parsons! Every smart youngster at Home knows the famous phrase, " A belief that the phenomena of the universe are all quantitatively int.rde pendent." r It is hardly the business of an anonymous writer to explain the meaning of the professors who say all science depends on physical science; still he may relieve some anxious breasts,by explaining that the professors never said that; literature or the arts—much less religion—were based on physical science. Nobody, can deny that physical science in its restricted sense of physics is a necessary foundation of chemistry and biology; and these three seem to form an introduction to mental science. No student can clearly grasp the way nerve force travels, or even understand the phrase "wave of allotropic modification," unless he has mastered the great laws, and some of the technical language, of the sciences aforesaid.

But to return to my two questions. Will some one try to'answer them? As a mere questioner, I prefer to remain anonymous. My informant will do well to append his signature.—lam, &0.,

Student.