n6 SCIENCE AND CULTURE 



in the moribund condition of the practical man, but 

 alive, alert, and formidable. 



It is not impossible that we shall hear this express 

 exclusion of "literary instruction and education" from 

 a College which, nevertheless, professes to give a high 

 and efficient education, sharply criticised. Certainly the 

 time was that the Levites of culture would have sounded 

 their trumpets against its walls as against an educational 

 Jericho. 



How often have we not been told that the study of 

 physical science is incompetent to confer culture; that 

 it touches none of the higher problems of life; and, 

 what is worse, that the continual devotion to scientific 

 studies tends to generate a narrow and bigoted belief 

 in the applicability of scientific methods to the search 

 after truth of all kinds? How frequently one has reason 

 to observe that no reply to a troublesome argument tells 

 so well as calling its author a "mere scientific specialist." 

 And, as I am afraid it is not permissible to speak of 

 this form of opposition to scientific education in the past 

 tense; may we not expect to be told that this, not only 

 omission, but prohibition, of "mere literary instruction 

 and education" is a patent example of scientific narrow- 

 mindedness? 



I am not acquainted with Sir Josiah Mason's reasons 

 for the action which he has taken; but if, as I appre- 

 hend is the case, he refers to the ordinary classical course 

 of our schools and universities by the name of "mere 

 literary instruction and education," I venture to offer 

 sundry reasons of my own in support of that action. 



For I hold very strongly by two convictions: The 

 first is, that neither the discipline nor the subject- 

 matter of classical education is of such direct value to 

 the student of physical science as to justify the expendi- 

 ture of valuable time upon either; and the second is, 



