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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXI. No. 792 



undesirable condition of a part of our sci- 

 entific affairs, and to suggest, with partic- 

 ular reference to our own beloved science, 

 some remedy therefor. 



It will help to clarify our problem if we 

 can come to an understanding upon certain 

 points in the general relations of the sci- 

 ences to education, the first being this— 

 what place ought the sciences to have in 

 education? I think we shall agree that the 

 sciences can never, under any circum- 

 stances, hold a place in education nearly as 

 prominent as that of the humanities. Man 

 is not primarily a reasoning but a feeling 

 being. As a philosopher has expressed it, 

 "few men think at all and they but sel- 

 dom. ' ' Hence the great majority of people 

 in most part, and all people in some degree, 

 can best be reached and influenced by 

 studies which appeal primarily to the feel- 

 ings, that is, by the humanities, while it is 

 only a minority which can best be reached 

 by studies appealing chiefly to the reason- 

 that is, by the sciences and mathematics. 

 But a minority has rights, and those to 

 whom the sciences especially appeal, and to 

 whom therefore they are of the higher cul- 

 tural value, are just as entitled to efficient 

 instruction in their subjects as are the 

 majority in theirs. The sciences must al- 

 ways hold, from their nature in conjunc- 

 tion with that of humanity, a position 

 quantitatively inferior to that of the hu- 

 manities, but they are entitled to a quali- 

 tative equality of educational rank and 

 opportunity. This they do not yet possess, 

 and it is alike our duty and our interest to 

 see that they shall. 



A second point of importance in the gen- 

 eral relations of the sciences to education is 

 involved in the fact that the times them- 

 selves are a bit out of joint, educationally 

 speaking. This is not a matter of indi- 

 vidual opinion, but of well-nigh universal 

 agreement. The recent addresses of our 



younger college presidents have united in 

 expressing dissatisfaction with the results 

 derived from our superb educational equip- 

 ment, while the remarkable declaration of 

 principles of the National Educational As- 

 sociation, issued a year and a half ago, rec- 

 ognizes an equivalent condition for the 

 schools. It is a fact that our students as 

 a whole have many hazy impressions but 

 little exact knowledge, are habitually inac- 

 curate even in the three r's, and have too 

 little regard for intellectual matters. The 

 catise of it all is obvious enough. Our 

 education, step by step with our modern 

 life, has become luxurized. Its features 

 disagreeable to young people have been 

 sedulously softened, their whims are de- 

 terminants of educational programs, and 

 the responsibility for learning has been 

 largely shifted from them to their teachers. 

 The wise Mr. Dooley has the modern col- 

 lege president say to the incoming fresh- 

 man: "What branch iv larnin' wud ye 

 like to have studied f 'r ye be our compitint 

 profissors?" and his humor as usual illu- 

 mines a central kernel of truth. The 

 trouble with our education is this, that it 

 needs more starch ; yea, it needs a bit more 

 blood and iron. It ignores the fact that, 

 with the mind as with the body, it is only 

 through effort that strength can be gained, 

 and through responsibility that character 

 can be formed. It is not more work our 

 students need, but work of a kind which 

 does more to inculcate a willingness for ef- 

 fort, and pride in a Spartan devotion to 

 duty — of a kind which enkindles in the 

 heart of youth the precious spark of intel- 

 lectual ambition. I would not exaggerate 

 the defects of our present-day education. I 

 know they do not go to the vitals, and 

 certainly they are more serious in some 

 places than others. But this granted, 

 there yet remains too great a deficiency, 

 especially in educational morale. Our col- 



