The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-10-11
THE UNIVERSITY DEGREES.
RIcIDTTV OF THE COURSE DEPENDED.
let Those Not tuficisntiy Ambitious 70
Acquire the Degree Content Themselves
With One of Lesser Dignity.
ror The Times.l

Cualkt III VIC tbuioo Aci Va" - "
ter Of Arts of the University OF virginia
ask the privilege of few words in reply. /
may be well TO say that hold neither OF th'
sxtrene views mentioned in the nrticle re
ferred 10. namely: That tho N. A. course
gives tho best training every devised by man,
or That it is positively psrnicious and ruin
Gus to the mind
nIoIDrTr or TIE PRESENT COURSE
AAaw found in the present course is its rigid
isy,lerhaps il il tooririd but fail 10 see why
the fact that's me men who desire liberia
education are e!thsr too stupid or too III;
prepared 20 attain the present degree should
be any reason ior making il easisr OF attain
ment Such men do not merit the highest
honor OF tho University Of Virginia. Let them
10 content with the degree Of b. A., which
ENSURES a fair knowledge Of nearly all those
subject with which an educated gentleman !.
expected 10 DO acquainted" Leave the oid
VI. A. for those who wish TO take II. ard let
teas widely ambitious students who have po-
culiar aptitude Tor mathematics. language or
science pursue their chosen specially ana
help themselves TO Phi. d.. a degree which
hope 10 see made worthy Of the University
by tue distinguished merit OF 1t, po'se'sors'
Whv should the rightly Of the VI. A. course
be made 10 yield 10 ire clamors OF those I'M
able or unwilling 10 grasp II in its entirety:
let them take some other course. IL is
clearly q case of bringing the mountain to
Mnhomet
DIGEsTrBLK MENTAL PABULUM.
1t is time that mems minds are as unlike
as their stomach Yet we do not abolish
pork or cucumbers or honey" Just because
eome men cannot digest them. We give them
other food. | shall 1ot attempt 70 defend
the merits of pork or cusunbers as whole
some articles OF diet. but arn content 70 ex-
press my opinion tnst tho N. A. course is
ensier for the average mental man TO dixcst
and To assinilate than pork. cucunbsrs or
honey for the average physical man.
lit is surely pertinent 70 ask. says TrE
TIMrs' article, WHY the infinite final calculus
and difficult problems in Mathematical optic,
and acoustics should be considered necessary
for general culture. while history and English
literature ara ignored" . 1t not equally por-
tinent to ask why the substitution OF history
and English literature for no matter what
else would provo 30 magical in eject? Has ID
ever been shown that tho study OF the Ersat
English classics gives 50 broad, 50 deep 50
refined culture As the study of Greek md
of Latin literature? II is true that know.
ledge of our own language and literature is of
very great importance but is not the acquire
ment of this knowledge better reegated to
our schools and to private study!
HISTORY. LATIN AND GREEK.
As for history, the statement that Master
of Arts OF the University Of Virginia may be
history" il Incorrect. Separate examinations
are given both in Greek and in Roman his-
tory and literature. and failure III these
examinations means failure III graduation.
As for the history OF other Countries knowl-
edge of that il. rs take il. very properly pre-
supposed and if it has not been acquired that
is the fault not of the University but of the
preparatorysschools. Acquaintance with his
tory and with English literature sufficient for
purposes of general culture" could be as
sured by an examination either upon entrance
or after graduation in the schools required for
the degree.
Ii is my belief that there is nothing else so
conducive to a clear and delicately appre-
ciative sense of the beauties as well as of the
p defects OF the English language ms the careful,
critical study of Latin and Greek. Witness
the opinions and the practices of Pitt. Lord
Brougham. Gladstone and many others noted
for the rehnomsnt and ths brillancy of their
speech.
ENGLISH CLASSICS.
Our article says; Tho Greeks who were in
have ever lived were educated chiefly by tho
study Of Homer and the othor great classics
Of their own language" From this fact it is
inferred that the University OF Virginia has
erred greatly in emitting from the require
ments for her highest degree all knowledge Of
the immortal classics OF the English tongue"
BE this as 1t may. let us remember that tho
new course renders il possible for man TO DO
q master of arts OF the University Of Virginia
and yet not know one Greek letter
from another. much less be able to enjoy
and to derive benefit from the study of the
immortal classics Of the Greek tonxus. There
should indeed DO some Assurance thata
master of arts OF the University IL not
an ignoramus in history and in Ensish lite
nature; but this assurance should not be re-
cured by the sacrifice Of other al lesst equally
important means OF mental development and
culture.
Itsurely is not thought that TIE Greek Ian
guage WAS even, apart from questions OF cul- |
ture,. of value only to the Greeks. The |
Greeks made q considerable bit of the history
course, and how better 1T one's sef 80 under !
stand the history of people than by study
ing their language and their literature, their |
own thoughts about themselves IL is only |
by such intimate acquaintance that |
we come truly to know people.
spirit. History and LANGUAGE. language and |
history. We cannot study all languages, nor
can we study all history. What we do then |
let us do thoroughly as far as we can and not |
by halves. Let neither DO sliehted for tho |
other. We tunnel the Alps in these days
pay? In time and in money, yes in culture |
no. We lose much of the grandeur and of |
the beauty in the scenery. We fail 10 cult |
vate 50 highly our taste for tho sublime. to |
perception of the exquisite beauties of nature. !
Some are blind even TO the sublmity of the |
Alps Let them use the tunnel The toll |
some climber has his peculiar reward If /
our student Mahomet cannot come to this |
mountain and climb il by patient steps let |
him be content 20 dwell on the plateau of q |
D. A. or on the bill of a college A. NJ. or let |
him climb the arduous ascent of Phi. d..
from whose height he may look with COM
placency upon the broader but less elevated
peak where rest the masters OF arts.
THE NEW NJ. A. oOURsr.
The new NJ. A. course is lessby four senior
Glasses than the old. There are also substitu-
lions which render it possible to take the de-
gree as follows
First. Without Greek, for which logic NAV
DO substituted at option.
Second. Without mathematics except so
much as implied in its alternate. general as
tronomy.
Third. Without either French or German.
the former being optionslly substituted by
spanish or Italian, the latter by En,lish.
Fourth. Without either physics or ohemis-
try these being at the ontion Of the student,
replaced by geology and biology.
30 then. under this new reg me il is posi-
BILE for man 10 be master of art, OF thu
University OF Virginia without being A fnll
graduate in Greek, Mathematics, French Ger
man. Physics and Chemistry OF course stu
Dents may choose to take a full conrse in ,nv
OF these branches. just a. now SONS choose
II 4