772 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



The first two books call for very brief comment. They are lengthy, encyclo- 

 paedic, and seemingly without any guiding principle, central idea, or original point 

 of view. The author has evidently read carefully the works of many of the great 

 ancient and modern philosophers, and is also well acquainted with the current 

 text-books on logic. The views of all and sundry are duly noted and are discussed 

 at some length. The volume cannot be regarded seriously as a contribution 

 either to the logic or to the philosophy of science, nor can it be recommended as a 

 text-book for those wishing to acquire a clear knowledge of the current methodology. 

 That being so, it is to be regretted that the first two sections are not condensed to 

 a brief introduction. 



In the latter part of the work the author is on his own ground, and his treat- 

 ment of the principles of pedagogics is worthy of serious consideration. The 

 preface indicates that the volume is intended mainly for the practical teacher, and 

 Mr. Westaway's opinions on that subject should be treated with the respect due to 

 an expert in school routine. Mr. Westaway is an ardent advocate of heuristic 

 methods, especially those of Prof. Armstrong. A somewhat fuller treatment of 

 this point would have been welcome. Unfortunately the discussion is scanty 

 and, moreover, exceedingly didactic. Whether or no and to what extent school 

 children in the process of learning the elementary principles of science and 

 mathematics can be put into the position of discoverers is a problem which 

 deserves fuller and more impartial consideration than it has yet received. Every 

 teacher of every subject will probably say that his main object is to train the pupil 

 to use his own intelligence, but whether or no this object will be served by turning 

 a science lesson into a peculiar ritual yclept heuristic is a controversial question. 



What Mr. Westaway does not appear to realise is that the teacher to whom 



his remarks are addressed has no option but to proceed by the experimental 



method. If he attempts to adopt Prof. Armstrong's and Mr. Westaway's ideas 



the attempt can be nothing else but an experiment, and one, moreover, of which 



the standard of success is uncertain. It is so easy, on insufficient grounds, to call 



a fad a great discovery. But the matter dealt with is of great interest to a large 



professional class. It is unfortunate, therefore, that Mr. Westaway did not write 



a book on the practical teaching of science, a subject on which he is specially 



competent to speak, and that he did not discuss these current controversies clearly, 



fully and with the minimum of dogmatism. The exponents of the heuristic 



method show small disposition to be heuristic in the presentation of their own 



pedagogics. The author's attempt to combine in a single volume a treatise on 



pedagogics and an account of the philosophy of scientific method is not very 



successful. 



H. S. S. 



Spencer's Philosophy of Science. By C. Lloyd Morgan, F.R.S. [Pp. 52.] 

 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. Price 2s. net.) 



Prof. Lloyd Morgan, who is, or has been, a competent specialist in at least 

 the three subjects biology, geology, and psychology, is eminently fitted to be a 

 Herbert Spencer lecturer and to pass judgment on the work of the great synthetic 

 philosopher. The lecture, however, is disappointing. The lecturer tries to cover 

 too much ground and conveys no very clear impression. Moreover, he greatly 

 overstates the importance of " the Unknowable " in Spencer's system. There are 

 a number of interesting points, but the content of the lecture is not well indicated 

 by the title. 



H. S. S. 



