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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



the volume, and is a vindication of the 

 study of nature and the rightful supremacy 

 of science in education. A memorable pas- 

 sage illustrates the change that must take 

 place in the study of history when social 

 phenomena come to be dealt with by the 

 method of development. 



Now, while, as we have already said, 

 there is no formula of evolution in the 

 book, and even the word occurs in it but 

 rarely, yet Spencer's " Education " so entire- 

 ly conforms to the doctrine, that, if it were 

 rewritten to-day, it would hardly require 

 revision in this respect. Mr. Spencer was, 

 in fact, master of the new method at that 

 time. If the reader will refer to the pro- 

 spectus of Spencer's "System of Philoso- 

 phy," which is prefixed to the volume, he 

 will see how completely its author's views 

 were matured, both in respect to the con- 

 v ditions, laws, and causes of evolution the 

 fundamental principles of the subject 

 and also of that detailed reconstruction of 

 biological, psychological, sociological, and 

 ethical science which evolutionary doctrine 

 necessitates. The whole logical plan was 

 traced out in its steps of dependence, and 

 even in its proportions, with such singular 

 accuracy, that he has hardly deviated from 

 it in the twenty years subsequently devoted 

 to its execution. The work on education was 

 written while these views were taking defi- 

 nite shape in Mr. Spencer's mind, and half 

 of it was written after his philosophical 

 scheme was perfected. It was, of course, 

 in advance of its time, and belonged to a 

 stage of thought not yet reached either by 

 the public mind generally, nor even in the 

 enlightened circles of science. There was, 

 as yet, but little talk of evolution, and when 

 referred to it was generally derided by eve- 

 rybody as a vagary. Yet to Mr. Spencer's 

 mind at this time evolution was not only a 

 great truth, overwhelmingly demonstrated 

 by concurring evidence from many sources, 

 but it had become a principle of reorganiza- 

 tion in large spheres of knowledge, and a 

 new guide in the practical affairs of life. 

 How thoroughly he had made the field his 

 own, and how far in advance he was of even 

 advanced thinkers, are sufficiently shown by 

 the fact that, when Mr. Spencer tacitly based 

 his treatment of education upon evolution 

 doctrines which he had already wrought into 



an explicit and complete system, Mr. Dar- 

 win had, as yet, published nothing upon the 

 subject. 



We have here, unquestionably, one of 

 the main causes of the success of this book. 

 It anticipated and conformed to ideas that 

 have since become widely popular. It has 

 been increasingly appreciated because it has 

 been found to harmonize with the striking 

 results of advancing thought within the last 

 twenty years. It has afforded trustworthy 

 help in a time of transition when help is 

 most urgently needed. Though a book of 

 principles, it proved to be the most prac- 

 tical of educational manuals, because its 

 principles were applicable to all circum- 

 stances, and it has become an authority be- 

 cause its indications have been attested by 

 common sense, and verified as true by ex- 

 perience. 



It is well, then, that we are to have a 

 cheap edition of this instructive book, and 

 all the better that it is in good print and 

 in an attractive form. It ought to be ex- 

 tensively circulated among teachers and ed- 

 ucational officials in this country, because, 

 with our favorite system of State instruction, 

 we are strongly inclining to the evils against 

 which this book so powerfully protests. The 

 machine-education of great school estab- 

 lishments is a system of external coercion 

 which everywhere tends to thwart sponta- 

 neous natural development, and to hinder 

 instead of facilitating self-education. It is 

 the small minority of thinking persons in 

 each country that has called for and com- 

 mended Mr. Spencer's work ; the great mul- 

 titude of teachers know little of it. And, 

 while as victims of a great mechanical sys- 

 tem they are left but small liberty in the 

 application of principles, and none at all of 

 principles that contravene the official me- 

 chanics of the schoolroom, it is, nevertheless, 

 desirable that they should be made to under- 

 stand, as clearly as possible, the drawbacks 

 of the system under which they work. 



The extensive circulation of this book, 

 both among teachers and parents, would be 

 highly promotive of rational education ; and 

 liberally disposed people would do an effec- 

 tive philanthropic work by purchasing it at 

 wholesale and donating it to those who are 

 not familiar with its views. 



It may not be improper to add, in these 



