The Kinetic Theory of Economic Crises n 



would better be compared to an elongated solid of which we wish 

 to take an infinite number of cross sections and also longitudinal 

 sections. Doubtless the old method of education in static logic 

 is highly beneficial — but rather for the objective habit of mind and 

 the scientific scepticism that it encourages than for any actual 

 knowledge that it gives. If education can give completer knowl- 

 edge than it has heretofore furnished it would undeniably be much 

 more beneficial. The popular phrase "to bring theory and prac- 

 tice together" really represents the greatest scientific desideratum. 



Learning is being democratized along with everything else. 

 The student can not afford to assume aristocratic airs toward the 

 practical man. The latter has a right to be proud of what he 

 does ; the former can only point to his thoughts and his ideals. 

 To few of us is it granted both to think and to do or live. If the 

 practical man — the man who really lives — knew how weak was 

 the logical armor of the theorist, his scorn would be redoubled. 

 The theorist must be prepared for the "I told you so" of the 

 practical man. The former has lofty aims, incomprehensible to 

 the latter; the latter judges all men by results upon his own 

 materialistic plane — his own geometrical slice ; his only standard 

 is facts accomplished ; his only facts are short-time and material- 

 istic ; with him there can be no dispute ; his contention must be 

 admitted as he understands it. It is not worth while to explain 

 to him that there' are things that he does not understand. He that 

 scorns the schools and does not acquire high ideals in the school 

 of life would better be left undisturbed. After all, the practical 

 man is the material, the very stock in trade of the social student. 

 Without the former the latter would have to go out of business. 

 The experimental material for the social laboratory would be 

 gone. Let our thought, however, become thoroughly kinetic, the 

 crevice in the scientific armor will be repaired, and even the ap- 

 pearance of unpracticality will be saved. 



Having considered in a general way the imperfections of the 

 older logical method, more particularly with reference to the social 

 sciences, and the general scope of what we may hope for from 

 the future, we may now turn our attention to a short statement 

 of what is being accomplished in the line of kinetic social thought. 



ii 



