On the Significance of Science and Art

In this sweeping essay, the author traces the rise of a new “positive, experimental” worldview that claims to unravel the laws of human societies through the rigor of science. Drawing on the legacy of biology, sociology and the evolution of organisms, the text argues that division of labor and the balance between mental and muscular work are natural, not divine, foundations of civilization.

The narrative then turns a critical eye toward the once‑dominant Hegelian philosophy, recalling how its grand claims of universal reason once shaped academia, politics and culture. With vivid recollections of a time when Hegel’s ideas seemed unquestionable, the author demonstrates how the doctrine gradually lost its grip, revealing the emptiness behind its lofty language.

By juxtaposing the optimism of positivist science with the fading allure of metaphysical speculation, the work invites listeners to reconsider how we justify knowledge, authority and the very structures that govern everyday life.