The history of science teaches us how difficult this renun-ciation is. How we come to hypotheses, theories, systems, or whatever other modes of thought may exist through which we try to grasp the infinite, will be the topic of the second part of this short essay. In the first part I will consider how we proceed when we aim to understand the forces of nature. My current studies of the history of physics often provide the opportunity to think about these matters and give rise to this little essay. I strive to show in what way many great indi-viduals have furthered, and also harmed, science.As soon as we consider a phenomenon in itself and in relation to others, neither desiring nor disliking it, we will in quiet attentiveness be able to form a clear concept of it, its parts, and its relations. The more we expand our consider-ations and the more we relate phenomena to one another, the more we exercise the gift of observation that lies within us. If we know how to relate this knowledge to ourselves in our actions, we earn the right to be called intelligent.
En ese párrafo el autor nos habla sobre el primer tema que abordará. Básicamente dice que intentará demostrar en el ensayo como a lo largo del tiempo muchos grandes individuos han fomentado correcta e incorrectamente la ciencia. Y de que el don de la observación cuanto más ampliamos nuestras consideraciones y cuanto más relacionamos los fenómenos entre sí es ejercitándolo. Teniéndolo y sabiéndolo relacionar con nosotros mismos en nuestras acciones podremos ganar el derecho a ser llamados inteligentes.