8 j'Ri-:s]de-\t's address. 



adopt ^\■ide views or a disinclination to look at a question from 

 the point of view of others or in extreme cases by a tendency to 

 judge every proposal by its effect on the men's class or caste, by 

 indeed the phrase, " This onr craft is in danger." 



Encouragement of the Study of Science. — It is natural that 

 the members of our Association will hope that the study of 

 science will be encouraged in every way at a university. Science 

 is not limited to the natural or physical sciences, but it is a great 

 advantage to a student to have at some time training in one at 

 least of these. In the experimental study of any science, a 

 student is furnished " with a means of gaining intellectual 

 strength and preparation for the educated man's career in life, 



such as it would be foolish to neglect We all need the 



intellectual habits which the faithful study of science tends to 

 foster. We are not all endowed with the same natural gifts, but 

 — more even than original cajiacity — what distinguishes one man 

 from another, and determines the greater or less success with 

 which he shall play his part in the work of life, is the keenness 

 and accuracy of his powers of observation, the practical ability 

 to grasp the meaning of facts and to weigh the force of evidence. 

 Half the weakness and perversity in the world arises from men's 

 inability to sec what is before their eyes, and the other half mainly 

 from their incapacity to discern the meaning of what they see. 

 In the business of life, in all spheres of human activity, there are 

 multitudes who are the slaves of their eyes, the passive victims 

 of outward impressions — who have never learned to fix their 

 attention, who overlook half of what they see, or think tliey see 

 ivhat they do not see, or confound with what they have seen what 

 they only imagine, or what other men tell them, with an air of 

 confidence, that they have seen. There are multitudes who in the 

 €ver-recurring exigencies of life — v\hen the call arises for inde- 

 pendent judgment or rapid decision and action, from tlic lack of 

 trained habits of observation and inference, because, in other 

 words, they have a reasoning machine which has nevei" been 

 habituated to move smoothly and rapidly — are for all effective 

 '.vork weak and useless." " And just that rational gymnastic 

 whicii such minds need is that which a thorough discipline in 

 the methods of investigation, the i)roblems. the jirocesscs of 

 science supplies." I quote this, not from a scientist, but from a 

 philosopher and a theologian. "•= 



The benefit derived froiu the stud\' of a science depends very 

 much on the experimental work connected with the course, and it 

 is here that we lag behind. Every candidate for the degree of 

 Bachelor of y\rts at the present University of the Cape of Good 

 flope has to take at least one one-year course in a science, but in 

 rhe examination on this one-year course the practical test given 

 by the University of the practical work, in every scieiice but one, 

 is of a perfunctory kind, or does not exist at all. It will be for 

 the new Universities to improve this. A science subject is com- 

 pulsory for the matriculation examination of the present Univer- 



* " University Addresses," by Principal Caird, University of Glasgow. 



