ii8 SCIENCE AND METHOD. 



people who find it obscure, and actually they are the 

 majority. That they should be incapable of discovery 

 we can understand, but that they should fail to under- 

 stand the demonstrations expounded to them, that 

 they should remain blind when they are shown a 

 light that seems to us to shine with a pure brilliance, 

 it is this that is altogether miraculous. 



And yet one need have no great experience of 

 examinations to know that these blind people are 

 by no means exceptional beings. We have here a 

 problem that is not easy of solution, but yet must 

 engage the attention of all who wish to devote them- 

 selves to education. 



What is understanding ? Has the word the same 

 meaning for everybody ? Does understanding the 

 demonstration of a theorem consist in examining each 

 of the syllogisms of which it is composed in succession, 

 and being convinced that it is correct and conforms 

 to the rules of the game? In the same way, does 

 understanding a definition consist simply in recog- 

 nizing that the meaning of all the terms employed 

 is already known, and being convinced that it in- 

 volves no contradiction ? 



Yes, for some it is ; when they have arrived at the 

 conviction, they will say, I understand. But not 

 for the majority. Almost all are more exacting ; 

 they want to know not only whether all the syllo- 

 gisms of a demonstration are correct, but why they 

 arc linked together in one order rather than in 

 another. As long as they appear to them engendered 

 by caprice, and not by an intelligence constantly 

 conscious of the end to be attained, they do not think 

 they have understood. 



