Science, or the pursuit of knowledge or truth for its own sake, covers a much wider field than that with which modern science and scientists deal. From the Theosophical point of view, science covers the knowledge of both the objective and subjective universes and of man and his relationships with these. Science, therefore, comprises the knowledge or truth about the universe, our solar system, our world or earth, all the kingdoms which compose that earth, and the interrelationship of all of these.

Even modern science has reached the point in its search for truth where it recognizes that our objective universe reflects but a combination of inner forces. The truthful scientist not only admits this, but also realizes that he has not understood, nor even traced to their ultimate analysis, the powers and forces which interpenetrate and give substance to all forms which he is endeavouring to investigate and fathom.

The concept of intelligence as the synthesizing power behind the vast variety of forces and forms making up our objective and subjective universes has not in general been inquired into by modern science and scientists, primarily because they have not yet fully accepted this most ancient idea as a basis for their investigation into the composition of the universe, our solar system, our world and all the beings that constitute the recognized kingdoms of Nature, both visible and invisible. This does not, of course, deny the fact that the most advanced of our present-day truth-seeking scientists have observed the progressive advancement in intelligence, from the mineral to the vegetable to the animal, culminating in that most perfectly created being on earth—man. Such scientists have also perceived the immense difference in intelligence that exists between the highest types of animals on earth, with their inherent instinctive capacities of choice, and the lowest types of human beings, the savages, with their limited yet individual capacities of choosing consciously and deliberately between one course of action and another. No doubt such scientists have pondered and wondered about the differences in these degrees of intelligence and consciousness, and have endeavoured to trace the gradual development of these through the many forms of life and being, culminating as these apparently do in man. Having traced the rise in intelligence and forms throughout all the kingdoms of Nature, from instinctive choice to self-determining choice, the true scientist has sought, but never found in modern thought, the so-called missing link that would bridge the vast gulf between these two types of choice, although there has been constant search for a key to complete the picture of the Darwinian theory.

Inheretance of certain characteristics and traits of family, nation and race has been carefully analysed and classified, but the capacity of individuals to transcend any and all of these has not been sufficiently studied and considered in the light of such teachings as reincarnation and karma, because few scientists are prepared to accept these teachings even as working hypotheses in their search after real knowledge or truth, and until they do so, such knowledge and truth must ever evade their grasp mentally and morally.

It is not the purpose of this article to offer explanations of the reasons for the differences in the degrees of intelligence expressed by the various forms of life or being, however lowly or highly organized they may be, even though such explanations are available and can certainly be arrived at and examined by those scientists who consider the truth and the gaining of it to be a higher and greater duty than mere acceptance and adherence to theories, however well grounded these may be in the objective facts and data that our modern materialistic science lays so much stress on. This does not necessitate the denial of such facts as have a universal basis for their acceptance, but only of such facts as require acceptance without individual investigation and proof, in the realms of thought, feeling and action. From this point of view, the true scientist will never enforce his opinions upon another, but will always consider that the final word on any subject remains as yet unsaid, and so will always be ready to give and receive freely such information as has been gained, never as a final word, but only as an extension of knowledge, in the search for truth. Such an attitude of mind will always leave room for further research by one-self or others, in any scientific field, and all the facts collected and examined impartially with the object of knowing the truth will widen the field of research from the "known" to the "unknown," from the "visible" to the "invisible" realms of Nature. In this way the sincere scientist will become aware of the "basic fact" that the "key" to the objective universe with its vast variety of forms is to be found in its complementary aspect, its inner invisible counterpart made up of the forces and intelligences that give it vitality and being.

Madame H. P. Blavatsky has garnered and marshalled many vital and important facts in the two volumes of her Secret Doctrine, in the sections entitled "Science and the Secret Doctrine Contrasted," and these properly studied with the true scientific attitude of impartial research for the "True and Knowledge of Things in Themselves" will reveal many further avenues of research. One result of such study will be the synthesizing of all the knowledge scientists have themselves acquired into a more true and comprehensive unity than they may at present hold.

An extract from an article by Madame H. P. Blavatsky, entitled "The Negators of Science" (published originally in the magazine Lucifer for April 1891 and reprinted in The Theosophical Movement for April 1962), gives a very clear picture of who a "man of learning" or true scientist is in reality. It reads:

What is it that constitutes the real man of learning? Is not a true and faithful servant of science (if the latter is accepted as the synonym of truth) he who, besides having mastered a general information on all things, is ever ready to learn more, because there are things that he admits he does not know? A scholar of this description will never hesitate to give up his own theories, whenever he finds them—not clashing with fact and truth, but—merely dubious. For the sake of truth he will remain indifferent to the world's opinion, and that of his colleagues, nor will he attempt to sacrifice the spirit of a doctrine to the dead letter of a popular belief. Independent of man or party, fearless whether he gets at loggerheads with biblical chronology, theological claims, or the preconceived and in-rooted theories of materialistic science; acting in his researches in an entirely unprejudiced frame of mind, free from personal vanity and pride, he will investigate truth for her own fair sake, not to please this or that faction; nor will he dislocate facts to make them fit in with his own hypothesis, or the professed beliefs of either state religion or official science. Such is the ideal of a true man of science....

Has modern science reached a point where another great step forward may be taken? Only such scientists as can truthfully measure up to the above description will be able to answer this, and, more important, prove it by their own mental attitude in furthering their scientific research, not for the honour and glory that may accrue to them, but so they may unearth a scientific gem which will prove of general service to their fellow men.

He who is wise, restrains emotion, and is ever pure, gains that resting-place from which he is not born again.

He whose charioteer is wisdom, who grasps the reins—emotion—firmly, he indeed gains the end of the path, the supreme resting-place of the emanating Power.

The impulses are higher than the bodily powers; emotion is higher than the impulses; soul is higher than emotion; higher than soul is the Self, the great one.

Higher than this great one is the unmanifest; higher than the unmanifest is the spirit. Than spirit nothing is higher, for it is the goal, and the supreme way.

This is the hidden Self; in all beings it shines not forth; but is perceived by the piercing subtle soul of the subtle-sighted.

—Katha Upanishad