1386 LIFE : OUTLINES OF GENERAL BIOLOGY 



the mere abstractions which have too long impeded the rise of 

 these. Moreover, beyond these intellectual results, there soon 

 appear corresponding practical ones, and these from both lines of 

 survey. Thus our Nature-survey is obviously suggestive towards 

 land reclamations, as to forestry, to pasturage improvement, and 

 to agriculture at its various levels; from poorest croft to richer 

 farm, to garden and orchard, and with irrigation or drainage as the 

 case may be. And similarly for the improvement of the village, town, 

 and city, as every hygienist, town-planner, and improver more or 

 less by this time knows; and as, for more directly human efforts, 

 all manner of social workers are also increasingly finding. In short, 

 then, our bio- social survey methods are thus rising towards educa- 

 tional progress, and even social statesmanship. For the task of this 

 is becoming increasingly extended, beyond taxation, justice, defence, 

 etc., to reconstructive and geotechnic measures, of which the 

 barrages of Nile and Indus, the reclamation of the Zuyder Zee, etc., 

 are salient examples; and the re-sanitation of Bengal and Ceylon, 

 the renewal of Mesopotamia, etc., are approaching ones. For our 

 present purpose, however, the reprinting here of this syllabus is 

 first of all to justify the association of biological and social studies, 

 and to suggest its trial, and with improvements which may readily 

 suggest themselves; and next to serve as introduction towards a 

 further attempt at this, even to graphic precision, and incentive to 

 research. 



Various results are thus reached in such Summer Schools of 

 Survey. The first and most appropriate, we repeat, is that of atten- 

 tion to the immediate environment, by the Survey of the Region, 

 in its many aspects — from its natural beauty and sublimity, its 

 geography, geology, and meteorology, its botany and zoology, its 

 forestry and agriculture, and to its anthropology and village life, 

 its modern town life and problems also. In observations of all these, 

 with their interpretations as far as may be, interest develops, in 

 natural and in social sciences alike, and in bringing together their 

 essential points of view. The saying, "Many men, many minds", 

 is in this way illustrated; yet, in course of such a comprehensive 

 survey, main streams of thought and tendency appear. The modern 

 conflict of ideas becomes more intelligible; and the co-operation of 

 good wills more hopeful. Such needed Survey is thus not merely of 

 the town and neighbourhood before us. It is also a far more general 

 stocktaking; even to that of the ideas and ideals now in conflict 

 and in transition over the world. Among these what can we select, 

 and what best apply in the opening future, in the East and in the 

 West? 



The following syllabus indicates the general treatment of our two 

 main courses, respectively introducing to Sociology and Civics, 

 Biology and Bio-technics, yet these in close association, and even 



