Item 23 - William Whewell to Richard Jones

Trinity College - WW has just returned from his German trip [see WW to RJ, 25 June 1825]. He will keep an eye out for Attree [William W. Attree - RJ's nephew]. WW will make time to read RJ's political economy if he sends it to him. He has 'got hundreds of mineralogical maggots in my head which I found in Germany and which may crawl into daylight hereafter - but now mind this my injunction - Do not go and conspire with Peacock [George Peacock] or any body else to tell our friends that I am bedeviled with german philosophy, as you once raised an essay with the accusation of a priori metaphysics [see WW to RJ, 16 August 1822]. If you do so you may easily give people an impression which you will not be able to remove when I have convinced you, as I certainly shall at the first opportunity, that everything which I believe is most true, philosophical, and inductive. Another injunction I also would give you. Do not imagine I am doing all for the material sciences with my mineralogy. If I do not fail altogether, it will be seen that this is one of the very best occasions to rectify and apply our general principles of reasoning; and my science shall, without ceasing to be good and true mineralogy, be also a most profitable example of that higher philosophy of yours which legislates for sciences - Remember also that we have got to do something for that same philosophy one day'. The talk of Cambridge is the Greek professorship - 'Rose [Hugh Rose] and Hare [Julius Hare] are considered the most likely candidates'.