Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 edition. Excerpt: ...to; we were not told of any influences of Homer on Greek literature or Greek philosophy or Greek freedom; all was grammar-grinding and the analysis of Greek forms. We read Plato, but it was never told us that Plato represented a great system of philosophy, or that there was such a man as Aristotle, or that Plato had had any influence upon the thinking of mankind. I do not remember that any student ever asked a question of any professor--the student's business was to answer questions, not to ask them, and there was no discussion whatever. But the mind is not a tub to be pumped into, it is a well to be pumped out. Nowadays the professor awakens the thinking powers of his pupil; mere recitation of a memorized demonstration in geometry will not suffice; the student must give evidence that he has worked out the problem for himself. Education is the drawing out of original energies, and this is possible only where the mind is concentrated upon few subjects, and of those only one at a time. I find fault with our modern electives, for the reason that they scatter the student's mental force. Breadth is a poor substitute for power of sustained attention. To know a little of many things, yet to know no one of them thoroughly, is the unsatisfactory result of much modern training. In this respect the concentration of the older education was better than the so-called breadth of the new. The second contrast which I notice is that between preparation and application. The old education held to the discipline of one's powers rather than to the immediate use of them. A liberal training was considered the necessary preparation for professional training. Now we begin to make application before we have anything to apply; to talk before we have any message; to...
