764 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



forms a notable exception to the usual mechanical action of the 

 ear, yet in the life of the average man the time given to music is 

 comparatively insignificant. 



The eye is not only more active, but its action is more intelli- 

 gent. It brings us into closer relations with the outer world. It 

 gives us not a time series of single elements, but a constantly 

 changing space series of numerous elements. It is the constant 

 and normal interpreter of our outer life. By its means we select 

 our food, recognize our friends, detect our enemies, guide our 

 steps, and co-ordinate the movements of our arms and hands in 

 eating, drinking, writing, reading, sewing, weaving, cooking, wash- 

 ing, plowing, planting, building, painting, drawing, driving, row- 

 ing, fencing, and in innumerable other manual dexterities. In all 

 these movements our actions have become automatic that is, 

 they are directed reflexly by the muscular sense, but still always 

 need some assistance from the higher senses, and the sense used 

 in almost all cases is the sense of sight. For instance, with closed 

 eyes we can write, but imperfectly. A practiced musician may 

 play with closed eyes, but commonly, even in this art pertaining 

 to the ear, the eye is busy, glancing at the keys and following in- 

 tently the printed score. So far has our eye-mindedness gone 

 that we use the word " see " not only for purely intellectual per- 

 ception, but even for perception by the other senses. We say 

 that we see the fallacy of an argument, or we see that the paper 

 is smooth, or the orange sweet, or even that the piano is out 

 of tune, when we mean that we understand, or fee], or taste, 

 or hear. 



Now, in the use and relative importance of the two higher 

 senses there has been a marked change even in historic times. It 

 is possible, indeed, to trace the evolution of the eye during the 

 last two thousand years, and to discover some of the causes pro- 

 ducing the change. The ancient Greeks, for example, were ear- 

 minded. By this is not meant that the sense of hearing was 

 at that time absolutely more prominent than the sense of sight, 

 but relatively so. Notice, then, how the Greeks used the ear, 

 with its complementary organ, the tongue, while we use the eye 

 and the hand. They were a conversing people ; we are a writing 

 and reading people. "With them poetry was sung or recited; 

 with us it is read. They conducted politics in the Agora ; we in 

 the newspaper. Success in political affairs depended with them 

 largely upon oratory ; with us but slightly. The instrument of 

 philosophy and discussion was with them conversation (dialec- 

 tic) ; with us it is the monthly or quarterly review. With them 

 music was the most prominent branch in popular education ; with 

 us it is least so. Although the principle of Greek education was 

 harmony of all the physical and mental powers, we have only to 



