EDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGES IN FRANCE 359 



These long-accepted and cherished studies are Philosophy, History, 

 Greek, Latin, French, Foreign Language and Literature, Political 

 Economy and Sociology, all of them in their different phases and 

 relations to allied topics; in a word, the humanities, using the word 

 in the broadest possible sense. A subject not usually put down in 

 the curriculum of American colleges or universities is Geography, 

 to which much attention is given in the faculty of letters of all the 

 French universities. Like the other subjects making up the 

 courses, it is gone into very thoroughly, and there appear courses in 

 modern, ancient, physical, colonial, and commercial geography. Po- 

 litical Economy and Sociology figure on the prospectus of the fac- 

 ulty of letters of the University of Paris, yet not as prominently as 

 in the law-school course. It is in the latter faculty that the sub- 

 ject is almost wholly pursued in all, or nearly all, the other French 

 universities. French Literature, French History, and French Philos- 

 ophy appear to be the centers to which attention is strongly di- 

 rected. It is undoubtedly due in a large measure to this fact that 

 France has in the past produced such brilliant philosophers, his- 

 torians, and litterateurs. This trend in the direction of studies cer- 

 tainly appears sensible from a practical standpoint, for it would 

 seem to be a duty to be well informed in regard to what directly 

 concerns one's native land and those who influence thought within 

 its borders. 



Besides the ancient languages, Greek and Latin, whose litera- 

 ture and philology receive a good share of attention, Sanskrit and 

 Comparative Grammar of the Indo-European languages are studied 

 under some of the foremost scholars in this department of lin- 

 guistics. European literature, undoubtedly, embraces considerable 

 of the best in the field in northern and southern Europe. The stress 

 appears to be laid rather on the literary side of language than on 

 the philological. This feature is in contrast with the curricula in 

 some of the higher institutions of learning in the United States, 

 where the emphasis is rather on the linguistic or philological side of 

 language than on the literary. The two foreign languages to which 

 most time and attention are given at the University of Paris are 

 German and English, fully warranted by their importance. Paleog- 

 raphy, generally speaking, is a subject that appears quite prom- 

 inently in the courses offered by the faculties of letters in France, 

 and for the study of which Paris has opportunities that are un- 

 surpassed. American Institutions and Literature have within 

 recent years been given a place. 



