348 J. C. MERRIAM THE TEACHING OF HISTORICAL GEOLOGY 



that it is itself one of the greatest types of creative institutions, occupy- 

 ing a position distinguished by breadth of interest and by opportunity 

 for contribution to the basic elements of science. Considering its largest 

 usefulness, there is every reason for holding that, whatever else may be 

 included in a university program, the interests of the teacher, the taught, 

 and the community demand that a knowledge of needs and objects for 

 future constructive work and an understanding of the mode of operation 

 of the creative mind shall always be dominant features. 



Special Significance of Geology in Teaching Idea of Continuity 



IN Eesearch 



What has been stated regarding the problem of the educational insti- 

 tution as a whole applies without amendment to the fields of instruction 

 in geology in all of its phases. I have presented the problem in this 

 general form in order that in further discussion we may more readily 

 express the relation of the teaching of geology to that in other subjects. 

 My desire is to emphasize the point that teaching conducted in such a 

 way as to fail of stress on the constructive element expresses a condition 

 less advanced than that of full leadership and promises for the future a 

 result corresponding to what has leen accomplished rather than what 

 should he done. Geologists have always been a constructive group of 

 scientists, and we may trust that in the further progress of educational 

 work in this field the example of research activities of our distinguished 

 predecessors may serve to establish the method for future advances. 



In addition to consideration of the relation of teaching to research 

 expressed in geology, along with all other phases of scientific inquiry, I 

 wish to direct attention to a peculiar relation between the historical phase 

 of geology and other aspects of this science, as also the relation of this 

 aspect of geology to other sciences. It is stated only briefly as indicating 

 an influence of the teaching of this subject upon the general development 

 of research. 



Great advances in knowledge are not infrequently made by sudden 

 flashing up of genius opening the way into a new field. Some hold that 

 these individual efforts, unrelated to other researches, represent the nor- 

 mal method of advance of science. Important as these individual con- 

 tributions may be, careful study indicates that a very large part of the 

 general forward movement is made possible by the fitting of moderate 

 individual contributions into a larger scheme in which the relations of 

 all the parts are known. Through an understanding of the continuity 

 or interrelationship of the facts in the whole field of knowledge it be- 



