CLASSIFICATION OT? HITMAN KNOWLEDGE. 35 



arts, as Callography concluded that of nations; the amusing or orna- 

 mental portions taking the final place. Thus ; the department of 

 Callotechnics, completes the province of Technology ; and with it 

 our tree of human knowledge, as represented in the frontispiece of 

 the present volume.* 



We will not stop here to explain the subdivisions of these sixteen 

 departments into branches ; or of the branches into sections ; but 

 reserve these explanations, for their places, in the body of the work. 

 The divisions already made, we consider as the basis of the whole 

 system : and by remembering the names and order of the sixteen 

 departments, we have a key to the whole distribution of knowledge ; 

 as the alphabetic order is a key to the finding of all the words in a 

 dictionary. It is true that many of our division lines, between the 

 provinces, departments, and branches, are not precisely commen- 

 surate with the terms used to designate them ; but the principal expla- 

 nation of these seeming anomalies, is, that we have endeavored to* 

 follow existing arrangements and divisions, as far as they could be- 

 made to harmonize with a general system ; and thus to make that 

 system more acceptable than if the old lines of demarcation were? 

 greatly altered. 



We have differed from Ampere, in introducing the study of 

 the human mind, before proceeding to that of the material world. 

 We can see no advantage in placing the study of mathematics before 

 that of languages ; or of natural philosophy, before mental and 

 moral ; or of medicine, before theology ; neither do we think it the 

 common order, in the best systems of education. We believe that 

 the best course is that which prosecutes the four great provinces of 

 knowledge simultaneously ; commencing with languages, geography, 

 mathematics, and the useful arts : and so proceeding to the higher 

 studies of each province : but still the studies of language, and 

 geography, should be in advance of the others. As, however, the 

 provinces cannot well be arranged collaterally, in a single volume ; 

 and as some one of them must be named first ; we have no hesita- 

 tion in commencing with that which possesses the highest dignity; 

 and arranging the remaining three according to their relations to this,, 

 and to each other. 



It would be presumptuous to suppose, that we have in every case* 

 succeeded in arranging the divisions of knowledge according to their 

 strongest, and most important relations. As in the natural systems of 

 Botany, the same plant, having strong affinities to two or more differ- 

 ent families, or genera, is differently located by skilful botanists ; SO' 

 in Pantology, it cannot be surprising that different opinions should 

 prevail, concerning the arrangement of the branches of knowledge, 



* Ampere distributes the branches which we have comprehended in the province- 

 of Technology, among the sciences on which they most depend. Thus, he limits 

 Agriculture to the cultivation of plants, and connects it with Botany : but the 

 rearing of animals, he makes a distinct branch, connected with Zoology. Our objec- 

 tion to this arrangement, is, that it breaks the chain of the Physical Sciences, which 

 have close and important relations; and also separates those arts, which are usually 

 and naturally associated, and which often depend on two or more sciences in conr- 

 nection. 



