274 



POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



of which discuss Pestalozzi's theories, and in his book, whose title is trans- 

 lated as Pestalozzi's Idea of an A B C of Sense-Perception investigated and 

 scientifically carried out as a Cycle of Preliminary Exercise in the Apper- 

 ception of Forms. In one of the essays he sets forth the insufficiency of 

 empiricism in pedagogy, and draws an instructive parallel between tact 

 and character; in another he insists that success in moral as well as in 

 intellectual education depends on the proper psychologic grading of the 

 training conferred. In still another he advocates many-sidedness in schools 

 wbile at the same time showing the impossibility of satisfying all the " fad- 

 dists," and follows this by demanding as much free time for the pupil as 

 can be secured by economy of the working hours. His conception of 

 pedagogy as a whole is laid down in the essay On the Esthetic Presenta- 

 tion of the Universe as the Chief Office of Education. As to what consti- 

 tutes presentation of the universe, his own words are " experience, human 

 converse, and instruction taken all together." Conceding that the object 

 of learning is doing, we must know what is right in order to do what is 

 right, and besides this there must be the desire to do right. Knowledge 

 and sympathy, then, are the two ends of the Herbartian pedagogy. In his 

 discussion and extension of Pestalozzi's A B C of Sense-Perception, Herbart 

 affirms that the cultivation of sense-perception falls within the sphere of 

 mathematics, and that mathematical exercises afford the best means of 

 holding the attention of the pupil. In discussing the exposition of mathe- 

 matics for educative purposes, he declares that nothing seems to lie so 

 nearly at the center of mathematics as trigonometry. Angles, then, should 

 be the first subject for mathematical exercises. A section of seventy-seven 

 pages is devoted to a plan of progressive exercises on triangles, or trigo- 

 nometry. In a concluding chapter the value of a knowledge of triangles 

 in the study of geography is pointed out, and the transition from the 

 triangular form to the variety of forms in Nature and art is committed to 

 the drawing-master. Wherever in the volume criticisms and expositions 

 of Pestalozzi's work appear, it will be seen that Herbart does not seek to 

 supplant Pestalozzi, but rather to supplement him. In the opinion of the 

 translator, the American school system has had the benefit of Pestalozzian- 

 ism, and is now ready for the further advance to be had from Herbartian- 

 ism in fact, has already entered upon this advance, although, he says, 

 many teachers are guided by Hei'bart's ideas who never heard of him. 



GENEEAL NOTICES. 



The rapid march of civilization during 

 the past fifty years has left behind many of 

 the old economic and political ideas. The 

 new crop which has sprung up is not, as was 

 perhaps to be expected, of uniform good- 

 ness ; and many of them, born of demagogy 

 and ignorance, are positively bad. Ill-consid- 

 ered legislation and mistaken notions of trade 

 and finance have brought about conditions en- 

 tailing much hardship on the poorer classes ; 

 and popular discontent, true to its paternal- 

 governmeut fetich, and constantly stimulated 

 by that persevering animal, the social agitator, 



is loudly clamoring for " new laws." The 

 most striking political fact during this period 

 has been the growth of the democratic idea, 

 and it is not perhaps surprising that this 

 should be blamed for much of the difficulty. 

 Mr. Leahy's book. Democracy and Liberty* 

 is a study of the growth of democratic 

 tendencies, the effect which this growth has 

 had on the treatment of the various eco- 

 nomic and political questions, its dangers, ad- 



* Democracy and Liberty. By William Ed- 

 ward Hartpole Lecky. New York and London : 

 Longmans, Green & Co. 2 vols., 12mo. Price, $5. 



