Mcjital Discipline in Education, 409 



affairs. An exclusivemathematicaldisciplinemust, therefore, 

 be held as an actual disqualification for the work of life.* 



It is important to notice that, so far as the mode of ex- 

 ercising the mind is concerned, mathematical discipline 

 does not correct the defects of lingual discipline, but rather 

 confirms them. We hence see how it was that mathemat- 

 ics so perfectly harmonized with philology as to have been 

 early and naturally incorporated with it in the same scheme 

 of culture. Both begin with the unquestioning acceptance 

 of data — axioms, definitions, rules ; both reason deduc- 

 tively from foregone assumptions, and therefore both ha- 

 bituate to the passive acceptance of authority — the highest 

 mental desideratum in the theological ages and establish- 

 ments which gave origin to the traditional curriculum. 



To those familiar with the literature of this discussion, 

 the objections here presented will ^ not be n<£vv • but there 



* Dugald Steward ^g^^j.|^g . .. jj^^ accurate soever the logical process 

 may be, if our f c ^ principles be rashly assumed, or if our terms be in- 

 definite and igjnbiguous, there is no absurdity so great that we may not be 

 brought t^x ^^^p^ .J . ^^^ -J. unfortunately happens that, while mathemat- 

 ical stucj^^^ exercise the faculty of reasoning or deduction, they give no em- 

 P?°^^;ient to the other powers of the understanding concerned in the inves- 

 ^^^^I'don of truth. On the contrary, they are apt to produce a facility in 

 ?he admission of data, and a circumscription of the field of speculation by 

 partial and arbitrary definitions, ... I think I have observed a peculiar 

 proneness in mathematicians to avail themselves of principles sanctioned 

 by some imposing names, and to avoid all discussion which might tend to 

 an examination of ultimate truths, or involve a rigorous ana 'sis of their 

 ideas. ... In the course of my own experience 1 have not met with a 

 mere mathematician, who was not credulous to a fault ; credulous not 

 only with respect to human testimony, but credulous also in matters of 

 opinion ; and prone, on all subjects which he had not carefully studied, to 

 repose too much faith in illustrations and consecrated names." Pascal 

 also observes : " It is rare that mathematicians are observant, or that ob- 

 servant minds are mathematical, because mathematicians would treat mat- 

 ters of observation by rule of mathematic, and make themselves ridiculous 

 by attempting to commence by definitions, and by principles." 



