26 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



educative value as a means of culture. It brings the student into 

 contact with some of the greatest minds of all ages; it fui'nishes 

 as good a field as can be had in either Cosmology or Biology for 

 the exercise of the observing and reasoning faculties ; it gives 

 breadth of view in matters i-elating to social life, and teaches tolera- 

 tion ; and, lastly, it corrects the tendency alike to exaggerated 

 optimism and to exaggerated pessimism. The pedagogic claim of 

 Sociology rests, in the second place, on the pi-actical character of the 

 various subjects it comprises. Civilization is the result of soci- 

 ological progress. Portions of its subject matter are such sociological 

 conceptions as those connoted by the terms " family," " [)roperty," 

 "juridical institutions," "religious institutions," "civic institu- 

 tions," " international relations," " socialism," " individualism," 

 "anarchism," "tribalism," " communism," &c. In view of the deep 

 practical interest which the community has in these and other soci- 

 ological topics, they should be dealt with pedagogically in every 

 part of the State educational curriculum from the primary school to 

 the university. 



In answer to a question from Mr. Squair, Mr. Houston 

 replied that the science of Sociology embraced the whole 

 science of Law, as well as Philology and Archaeology. 



Mr. Kirkland asked if any general principle ran through 

 the whole of the science. 



Mr. Houston said the principle was that of cooperation for 

 a common end, which he illustrated by examples taken from 

 the division of labour in the production of manufactured 

 articles. 



The President remarked on the many advantages that 

 Canada presented for the study of Sociology, as in the 

 case of Indian languages and archseology. Many of these 

 advantages were passing away. He advocated the necessity 

 of a publication society, as well as other measures for the 

 promotion of archaeological research. 



C. Fessenden, B.A., exhibited a new Planimeter, the joint 

 invention of himself and Mr. Butler, C.E., and read the follow- 

 ing paper : — 



