350 
opinions, and find that the unguided human mind goes astray 
almost without fail. We must correct it constantly and con- 
vince it of error over and over again until it discovers the proper 
method of reasoning, which will surely accord with the truth in 
whatever conclusions it may reach. ‘There is, however, danger 
in this process that the mind may become over-cautious, and 
thus present a weakness when brought in contact with an un- 
scrupulous person who cares little for truth and a great deal for 
effect. But if we believe in the maxim that truth will prevail, 
and consider it the duty of all educated men to aid its progress, 
the kind of mind which I describe is the proper one to foster by 
education. Let the student be brought face to face with nature : 
let him exercise his reason with respect to the simplest physical 
phen >menon, and then, in the laboratory, put his opinions to the 
test ; the result is invariably humility, for he finds that nature 
has laws which must be discovered by labour and toil, and not 
by wild flights of the imagination and scintillations of so-called 
genius. 
“Those who have studied the presenf state of education in the 
schools and colleges tell us that most subjects, including the 
sciences, are taught as an exercise to the memory. I myself 
have witnessed the melancholy sight in a fashionable school for 
young ladies of those who were born to be intellectual beings 
reciting page after page from memory, without any effort being 
made to discover whether they understood the subject or not. 
There are even many schools, so-called, where the subject of 
physics or natural philosophy itself is taught, without even a 
class experiment to illustrate the subject and connect the words 
with ideas. Words, mere words, are taught, and astate of mind 
far different from that above described is produced. If one were 
required to find a system of education which would the most 
surely and certainly disgust the student with any subject, I can 
conceive of none which would do this more quickly than this 
method, where he is forced to learn what he does not under- 
stand. It is said of the great Faraday that he never could under- 
stand any scientific experiment thoroughly until he had not only 
seen it performed by others, but had performed it himself. 
Shall we then expect children and youth to do what Faraday 
could not do? A thousand times better never teach the subject 
at all. i 
“* Tastes differ, but we may safely say that every subject of 
study which is thoroughly understood is a pleasure to the 
student. The healthy mind as well as the healthy body craves 
exercise, and the school-room or the lecture-room should be a 
source of positive enjoyment to those who enter it. Above all, 
the study of nature, from the magnificent universe, across which 
light itself, at the rate of 186,000 miles per second, cannot go in 
less than hundreds of years, down to the atom of whichmillions are 
required to build up the smallest microscopic object, should be 
the most interesting subject brought to the notice of the 
student. 
“*Some are born blind to the beauties of the world around 
them, some have their tastes better developed in other direc- 
tions, and some have minds incapable of ever understanding the 
simplest natural phenomenon ; but there is also a large class of 
students who have at least ordinary powers and ordinary tastes 
for scientific pursuits: to train the powers of observation and 
classification let them study natural history, not only from 
books, but from prepared specimens, or directly from nature ; 
to give care in experiment and convince them that nature for- 
gives no error, let them enter the chemical laboratory ; to train 
them in exact and logical powers of reasoning, let them study 
mathematics ; but to combine all this training in one and exhibit 
to their minds the most perfect and systematic method of dis- 
covering the exact laws of nature, let them study physics and 
astronomy, where observation, common-sense, and mathematics 
gohandinhand. The object of education is not only to pro- 
duce a man who £zows, but ene who does ; who makes his mark 
in the struggle of life and succeeds well in whatever he under- 
takes ; who can solve the problems of nature and of humanity 
as they arise ; and who, when he knows he is right, can boldly 
convince the world of the fact. Men of action are needed as 
well as men of thought. 
“‘There is no doubt in my mind that this is the point in 
which much of our modern education fails. Why is it? I answer 
that the memory alone is trained, and the reason and judgment 
are used merely to refer matters to some authority who is con- 
sidered final, and worse than all they are not trained to apply 
their knowledge constantly. To produce men of action they 
must be trained in action. If the languages be studied, they 
NATURE 
[August 12, 18 6 
must be made to translate from one language to the other until 
they have perfect facility in the process. If mathematics be 
studied, they must work problems, more problems, and 
problems again, until they have the use of what they know. If 
they study the sciences, they must enter the laboratory, and 
stand face to face with nature; they must learn to test their 4 
knowledge constantly, and thus see for themselves the sad results 
of vague speculation; they must learn by direct experiment 
that there is such a thing in the world as truth, and that their 
own mind is most liable to error. They must try experiment 
after experiment and work problem after problem until they 
become men of action, and not of theory. a 
“« This, then, is the use of the laboratory in general education— 
to train the mind in right modes of thought by constantly bring-— 
ing it in contact with absolute truth, and to give it a pleasant and 
profitable method of exercise which will call all its powers o 
reason and imagination into play. Its use in the special train 
ing of scientific men needs no remark, for it is well known that 
it is absolutely essential, The only question is whether the 
education of specialists in science is worth undertaking at all, 
and of these I have only to consider natural philosophers or 
physicists. - I might point to the world around me, to the 
steam-engine, to labour-saving machinery, to the telegraph, to 
all those inventions which make the present age the ‘Age of 
Electricity,’ and let that be my answer. Nobody could gainsay 
that the answer would be complete, forall are benefited by these 
applications of science, and he would be considered absurd who 
did not recognise their value. These follow in the train of — 
physics, but they are not physics; the cultivation of physies 
brings them and always will bring them, for the selfishness of man- 
kind can always be relied upon to turn all things to promt. But 
in the education pertaining to a University we look for other 
results. The special physicist trained there must be taught to 
cultivate his science for its own sake. He must go forth into 
the world with enthusiasm for it, and try to draw others into an - 
appreciation of it, doing his part to convince the world that the 
study of nature is one of the most noble of pursuits, that there 
are other things worthy of the attention of mankind besides the 
pursuit of wealth. He must push forward and do what he can 
according to his ability, to further the progress of his science. 
“Thus does the University, from its physical laboratory, send 
forth into the world the trained physicist to advance his science ~ 
and to carry to other colleges and technical schools bis enthu- — 
siasm and knowledge. Thus the whole country is educated in 
the subject, and others are taught to devote their lives to its 
pur-uit, while some make the applications to the ordinary pur- 
suits of life that are appreciated by all. 
‘* But for myself I value in a scientific mind most of all that 
love of truth, that care in its pursuit, and that humility of mind 
which makes the possibility of error always present more than 
any other quality. This is the mind which has built up modern 
science to its present perfection, which has laid one stone upon 
the other with such care that it to-day offers to the world the 
most complete monument to human reason. This is the mind 
which is destined to govern the world in the future and to solve 
problems pertaining to politics and humanity as well as to 
inanimate nature. 
“Tt is the only mind which appreciates the imperfections of 
the human reason, and is thus careful to guard against them. It 
is the only mind that values the truth as it should be valued, and 
ignores all personal feeling in its pursuit. And this is the mind 
the physical laboratory is built to cultivate.” 
Dr. Thomas's address was as follows :— 
‘*The foundation and growth of a University is an event of 
the greatest interest. 
“‘Tts functions and use have been elaborately discussed by 
many modern thinkers and scholars. I shall call your attention 
to three statements of men of differing schools of thought. 
““Goldwin Smith, discussing Oxford University organisation, 
says :— 
or Experience seems to show that the best way in which the 
University can promote learning and advance science is—_ , 
“<< (1) By allowing its teachers, and especially the holders of 
its great professorial chairs, a liberal margin for private study; 
“© (2) By keeping its libraries and scientific apparatus in full 
efficiency and opening them as liberally as possible ; 
“°¢(3) By assisting, through its press, in the publication of 
learned works which an ordinary publisher would not under- 
take 5 
