The process of converting information into knowledge is a comparatively easy one when we are dealing with matters of detailed fact.

Information as to the dates of the kings of England, as to the bays and capes of the British Isles, as to the exports and imports of Liverpool, as to the weights and measures of this or that country, is in each case readily convertible into knowledge of the given facts.

But directly we get away from mere facts, and begin to concern ourselves with what is large, vague, subtle, and obscure,--with forces, for example, with causes, with laws, with principles,--the difficulty of collecting adequate and appropriate information about our subject becomes great, and the difficulty of converting such information into knowledge becomes greater still.

Information as to the dates and names of the English kings, and other historical facts, is easily converted into knowledge of those facts, but it is not easily converted into knowledge of English history.

Information as to the names and positions of capes and bays, as to areas and populations, and other geographical facts, is easily converted into knowledge of those facts, but it is not easily converted into knowledge of geography.