General Aims of Nature Study 59 



In one sense it is fortunate that we are able to 

 forget unimportant details. For it is by a process 

 akin to forgetting that we are able to generalize. 

 The object of ^observation is generalization and ab- 

 straction. Many facts with which nature study deals 

 are in themselves worthless. They are valuable, 

 however, in proportion as they furnish data for correct 

 generalization. One generalization is worth a hun- 

 dred facts. The power of generalization, therefore, 

 should be developed; and observation pure and 

 simple should not be allowed to monopolize all the 

 time and energy of the pupil. 



The power to generalize differs in different indi- 

 viduals. It is impossible to say whether this differ- 

 ence is due to heredity or to difference in early train- 

 ing. There is, doubtless, a hereditary element in 

 nervous organization as well as an acquired one. 

 This is, however, not synonymous with saying that 

 general ideas are inherited. Generalization means 

 deriving general ideas and concepts from many par- 

 ticulars. This is induction. It is now thought 

 probable that all our general ideas and notions arise 

 in the mind in that way. It seems to be by a process 

 of assimilation, analysis and integration, of the essen- 

 tial aspects of many particulars, and the elimination, 

 forgetting, of the non-essentials, that general concepts 

 arise. Thus, for instance, the general notion of a 

 genus arises from the actual observation of several 

 species. It is true that some of the older psycholo- 

 gists say that the idea of a genus exists before the idea 

 of species; that, for instance, the concept horse must 

 exist in the mind before a particular horse, as "Prince" 

 can be recognized. This, however, is a mere con- 

 tention, maintained chiefly for the sake of a philosophi- 

 cal system. We probably get the notion dog by re- 

 peatedly seeing various dogs, as Rover, Fido, Jack; 

 and, from them, the general concept dog. It is said 



