There are many paths to knowledge already discovered; and no
enlightened man doubts that there are many more waiting to be
discovered. Indeed, all paths lead to knowledge; because even the
vilest and stupidest action teaches us something about vileness
and stupidity, and may accidentally teach us a good deal more:
for instance, a cutthroat learns (and perhaps teaches) the
anatomy of the carotid artery and jugular vein; and there can be
no question that the burning of St. Joan of Arc must have been a
most instructive and interesting experiment to a good observer,
and could have been made more so if it had been carried out by
skilled physiologists under laboratory conditions. The earthquake
in San Francisco proved invaluable as an experiment in the
stability of giant steel buildings; and the ramming of the
Victoria by the Camperdown settled doubtful points of the
greatest importance in naval warfare. According to vivisectionist
logic our builders would be justified in producing artificial
earthquakes with dynamite, and our admirals in contriving
catastrophes at naval manoeuvres, in order to follow up the line
of research thus accidentally discovered.

The truth is, if the acquisition of knowledge justifies every
sort of conduct, it justifies any sort of conduct, from the
illumination of Nero's feasts by burning human beings alive
(another interesting experiment) to the simplest act of kindness.
And in the light of that truth it is clear that the exemption of
the pursuit of knowledge from the laws of honor is the most
hideous conceivable enlargement of anarchy; worse, by far, than
an exemption of the pursuit of money or political power, since
there can hardly be attained without some regard for at least the