EDITOR'S TABLE. 



6 39 



EDITOR'S TABLE. 



AIMS OF SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION: 



IN a leading article on "The Proper 

 Study of Mankind," the Nation 

 recently entered a protest against sci- 

 entific education ; and, as we think it 

 gave its influence to strengthen a cur- 

 rent misconception on the subject, it 

 will be in our way to offer a few words 

 of reply. 



It is a common opinion, and one 

 which the advocates of the old system 

 of study do all they can to maintain, 

 that Science means merely the physical 

 sciences, which treat of heat, light, 

 electricity, chemical substances, and 

 rock formations ; that the value of 

 scientific knowledge consists in its ap- 

 plication to arts and industries, by 

 which wealth can be accumulated ; and 

 that scientific education simply means 

 the extension of mining, engineering, 

 medical and agricultural schools, while 

 its advocates would be glad to have 

 these overrun the country, and root 

 out all other educational institutions. 

 In other words, the friends of scientific 

 education are constantly charged with 

 being animated by a narrow and sordid 

 utilitarianism. We protest against this 

 view as a gross misrepresentation. Sci- 

 ence is not a mere acquaintance with 

 physical things it is a method of know- 

 ing, and is as comprehensive as the phe- 

 nomena of the world we live in. It is 

 not merely knowledge, it is the most 

 perfect form of knowledge, upon all sub- 

 jects which it is possible to know. Sci- 

 ence is the investigator of Truth truths 

 of all orders, and by all the mental oper- 

 ations through which truth can be estab- 

 lished. The first fact about knowledge 

 is, that it grows ; it begins in the com- 

 mon observations and reflections of un- 

 taught minds, and gradually develops 

 into clearness, certainty, and precision ; 

 is it grovelling utilitarianism to demand 



that the highest and most perfect forms 

 of knowledge shall be employed in the 

 work of mental cultivation ? But few 

 can now be found who will deny that 

 the study of the sciences has great value 

 for mental discipline, and we hazard 

 little in saying that, if pursued sys- 

 tematically, they are capable of giv- 

 ing the mind a training that is more 

 varied and complete than thataffopded 

 by any other class of studies. That the 

 influential and representative advocates 

 of scientific education rest its claims 

 upon any grounds of mere selfish utility 

 is not true. No class of men protest 

 more vehemently than they against such 

 low and unworthy motives. They cer- 

 tainly believe in the value of knowl- 

 edge, and in the eminent value of sci- 

 entific knowledge ; but they hold to a 

 broader and more liberal culture than 

 their adversaries ; for, while not reject- 

 ing the study of the past, they would en- 

 lighten and vivify it by a deeper knowl- 

 edge of the present. Nor is it true that 

 they are the enemies of literary studies, 

 although the writer in the Nation makes 

 them say of the student, " Literature 

 he had better let alone." But they 

 protest against what Dr. Whewell calls 

 the " narrow and enfeebling education " 

 of an exclusive literary culture; and 

 they demand such a restriction of it as 

 will allow room and time for more solid 

 acquisitions and a proper discipline of 

 the faculties that literature neglects. 

 The strongest advocates of scientific 

 education urge increasing attention to 

 the study of English literature ; and, 

 more than that, many of them prove, 

 by their fine command of the language, 

 that they have by no means themselves 

 neglected it. 



And the writer in the Nation not 

 only reaffirms the current error that 

 scientific education can only afford 



