298 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVIII. No. 453. 



should in any way be hampered by a nar- 

 row outlook or ambition. It has been 

 said, on the other hand, that since engi- 

 neers deal more particularly with materials 

 and physical relations rather than with 

 men, it will never be demanded or expected 

 of them that they should have any partic- 

 ular knowledge of men or of human insti- 

 tutions, such as is necessary in other more 

 humanistic professions. In other words, 

 that an engineer will be just as successful 

 whether he be a broad man or a narrow 

 man, since all the public wants him for is 

 to build a bridge or a railroad, or perform 

 whatever other special service he is fitted 

 for. This is too narrow a view, for two 

 reasons: (1) The educational level is ris- 

 ing, and the engineer must at least keep 

 pace with the general improvement. (2) 

 Engineers are taking such an increasingly 

 prominent part in the life of the country — 

 engineering undertakings are so closely 

 allied to questions of public policy, public 

 economy and social order, and the matter 

 of immediate utility is so closely involved 

 with that of permanent value and fitness — 

 that the public can not afford to intrust its 

 engineering undertakings to any but broad 

 men. 



If technical training is deficient as re- 

 gards broad knowledge, it is still more so 

 as regards the cultiire side, which is left 

 practically untouched. Moreover, there 

 is very likely to be a desire on the part of 

 the students still further to reduce the 

 time spent, in such work, the argument be- 

 ing that it is not sufficiently 'practical,' 

 and doesn't 'pay.' I believe it does 'pay,' 

 even in a commercial sense— but what if 

 it does not? Is there nothing there worth 

 having except for the profit it will bring? 

 The word we have used to represent this 

 side of education— culture— is in bad re- 

 pute even among those representing its 

 best phases. To some it means a veneer, 

 a smattering of music, art or literature; 



a sort of young-ladies '-finishiug-school 

 halo of accomplishments. Again it may 

 imply a somewhat exclusive but genuine 

 learning and an air of condescension to- 

 ward every-day life and work. Both mis- 

 taken notions, of course. What the word 

 should imply is a genuine interest in some- 

 thing for its own sake, and a determination 

 to know and appreciate the best there is of 

 that something— whether it be literature, 

 music, amateur photography or tennis. 

 The broader the interest, the greater the 

 intelligence and the self-sacrificing labor 

 necessary to appreciate and attain the best, 

 just so much broader and more thorough is 

 the culture which it represents. Matthew 

 Arnold put the matter in a compact and 

 surprisingly practical form when he de- 

 fined culture as 'the disinterested pursuit 

 of perfection'; it is a point of view, an at- 

 titude, a motive which has its influence on 

 every action. 



It is apparent, then, that technical edu- 

 cation as at present understood is strong 

 in the matter of the discipline of the mind 

 and will; it will help a student to think 

 clearly ; it will give him self-confidence and 

 self-control, and teach him the virtue of 

 and necessity for work. It is equally ap- 

 parent that the system is weak on the side 

 of broad general knowledge and cultiva- 

 tion, and there can be no doubt that this is 

 a serious defect. There are three possi- 

 bilities for improvement. The first is to 

 devote more time during the technical 

 course to subjects of a general character. 

 It is doubtful whether this can be done to 

 any great extent in view of the constantly 

 widening technical field; bvit I believe 

 some improvement could be brought about, 

 and at least we as alumni should be cau- 

 tious in urging or suggesting any reduction 

 in the minimum time now allowed. Again, 

 the burden of providing this part of the 

 engineer's education may be pushed down 

 on the preparatory schools. This means 



