Section J. 

 MENTAL SCIENCE AND EDUCATION. 



ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, 

 HENRY LAURIE, LL.D., 



Prof, of Mental and Moral Philosophy^ UniversUy, Melbourne. 



RECENT PROGRESS AND PRESENT POSITION OF 

 MENTAL SCIENCE. 



Last year the Section of Literature and Fine Arts made an 

 effective exit, and to-day the Section of Mental Science and 

 Education makes its entrance on the platform of the Australasian 

 Association for the Advancement of Science. Hitherto papers 

 on education have been submitted under the disguise of the Section 

 of Literature, and an occasional paper on mental science has 

 found listeners tinder some other subterfuge ; but now, for the 

 first time, these important subjects are openly recognised. We 

 may, I think, congratulate the Association on the step in advance 

 which it has taken, and ma}' cordially invite the co-operation of 

 all who take an enlightened interest in the .«tudy of mental science, 

 or in the theory and practice of education, to make the new depar- 

 ture a success. 



These topics are, it is evident, very closely allied. A science 

 which proposes to throw light on mental facts, and which includes, 

 therefore, the consideration of attention, habit, memory, imagina- 

 tion, reasoning, and the emotions and desires, has an intin)ate 

 bearing on the question of the best methods of educing the powers 

 and capacities of the human mind ; and the teacher who from 

 month to month and year to year has had amjjle opportunities of 

 watching the development of the young, cr of imparting special 

 knowledge, may in his turn contribute important facts and gene- 

 ralisations to psychology. From this point of view the subjects 

 may be fitly laracketed together. I shall not attempt, however, 

 in this inaugural address, to take even a general survey of the 

 theory of education ; but, leaving this to others who may come 

 after me, shall be content if I can throw some lighten the present 

 position of mental science. 



