52 EDUCATIONAL THEORY 



the strengthening and the increase of this national " capital " on 

 which the permanence and extension of the people depends. 



Now this productive energy of a people is active in many fields. 

 On the one hand it is directed towards the preservation and the in- 

 crease of our spiritual possessions, towards art, and science, morality 

 and religion. On the other it turns to the exploitation of the riches 

 of the earth, to their preparation and distribution as raw products, 

 to manufacturers also and to commerce. 



To what extent fundamental principles can here be laid down it is 

 the task of the science of political economy to establish. This may 

 be defined as the science of the proper organization of the material 

 possessions of a people. At its side stands pedagogy as the science of 

 the organization of the spiritual possessions. Both, moreover, are 

 in the service of the science of statecraft, which is devoted to setting 

 forth along well-marked lines the aim and mission, the ways and 

 means for the people's advance toward civilization. Above all, that 

 science would prepare the future progress of the people, bringing 

 influence to bear on the generation that is now coming to maturity, 

 whereby the march of civilization maybe led always to still noblerends. 



Thus the work of education and of culture is part of a great system. 

 It is an important factor in the life of a people. It stands out from 

 an impressive background. Hence it is of great importance to 

 organize it in the right way and so to carry out its design that the 

 bodily and spiritual health of the people shall be preserved and aug- 

 mented, and thereby its productive efficiency. 



It is this task that the science of pedagogy adopts as its own. 

 Therefore the same place is to be accorded it among the sciences 

 as to the science of political economy. 



The further objection has been raised that pedagogy stands on 

 uncertain ground, that its results are so questionable that we cannot 

 assign it a place among the sciences. But this objection also must 

 be abandoned. In addition to uncertain and disputable results there 

 are to be found in pedagogy assured possessions, just as is the case in 

 other sciences, for example, political economy. Here, too, one lights 

 on opposed points of view, and often wanders in a maze of contra- 

 dictions and unverifiable statements; yet no one denies that political 

 economy possesses the character of a science. 



The lot of pedagogy is closely connected with the development 

 of ethics and psychology, just as the science of medicine is closely 

 connected with those of physiology and anatomy. To the extent 

 in which uncertainties appear in those fundamental sciences they 

 will appear also in the science of education. So, too, just so far as 

 verified mateiial that has survived the purifying fires of scientific 

 investigation is to be found in these sciences, to the same extent 

 pedagogy may boast of fixed foundations. 



