INTRODUCTION IX 



study of physics, chemistry and biology ; the 

 organization and multiplication of scientific and 

 technical schools ; the great variety of courses for 

 the study of science; the conferring of degrees 

 upon the completion of curricula in which science 

 is by far the largest element, are a few of the ex- 

 pressions of this revolution in the field of educa- 

 tion, as is the insistence upon nature study and 

 elementary science in our primary and grammar 

 schools. 



But the stress which is being laid upon the 

 study of science is due, not only to the change in 

 our attitude toward nature, but also to a change 

 in our attitude toward education, Formerly, the 

 question was, What does a man need to know? 

 Now the question is being asked, What does he 

 need to be ? It is the emphasis upon this ques- 

 tion, in the minds of the leaders of educational 

 thought, which is making it clearer and clearer 

 that we need a knowledge of nature, not only be- 

 cause we want to be able to talk with one another 

 across the ocean ; to be able to tunnel our moun- 

 tains and to throw huge bridges across our rivers, 

 and to navigate the air; not only because we 

 want electricity and steam to do the mechanical 

 work of the world, but because we want to be 



