480 EDUCATION 



think about them ; and, according to the way in which he thinks 

 his character will be influenced subtly and profoundly. All arrays 

 of facts do not afford equal facilities for acquiring skill in thinking. 

 Some, for example, the lengths of rivers, the heights of mountains, 

 the dates of history, and facts about the bones and muscles of 

 animals, may be useful as items of knowledge, but by themselves 

 they afford poor materials for the play of thought. Others, like 

 the data given in mathematical exercises, may be useless as items 

 of knowledge, but exceedingly well adapted as materials for mental 

 gymnastics. 



789. Facts are relatively useful or useless as items of know- 

 ledge and as materials for creating powers of thought, not only 

 in proportion as they are true and afford exercise in hard thinking, 

 but in proportion as they do or do not link up with the subsequent 

 experiences of the learner. Thus, since the elementary truths of 

 arithmetic are used almost every day in our lives, they are remem- 

 bered and have a greater influence on the mental career of the 

 average individual than the higher mathematics he may have 

 learned ; for the latter, though they require more strenuous think- 

 ing, are seldom used, and, therefore, being forgotten, tend to lose 

 their influence. Again, facts as materials for thought derive their 

 value for the pupil very largely from the way in which they are 

 acquired ; for on this depends the way in which he will think 

 about them, and the way he thinks about them will in turn 

 influence his whole habits of thought. Thus the facts of geometry 

 are comparatively valueless if learned by rote, but excellent if the 

 chain of reasoning by which they are demonstrated be understood 

 and assimilated. 



790. The teaching of bald collections of facts is comparatively 

 easy. Any man, who has a book of reference and means of 

 inflicting pain, may force his pupils to learn the dates of history, 

 the outlines of zoology, or the words of a language. Unfortunately 

 the ease and lack of intelligence with which this kind of teaching 

 may be conducted, the little labour entailed on the teacher, and 

 its effectiveness for purposes of examination or other displays of 

 mere knowledge, constitute a strong temptation for its employ- 

 ment. It is very widely used, not only for the tuition of little 

 children, but also for that of young men and women on the 

 threshold of independent life. Indeed little children are usually 

 better taught than older people. Their thinking processes are so 

 simple, their instinctive curiosity and tendency to play mentally 

 with all they learn so strong, that even the inferior teacher, taking 



