The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-06

tereSt in perfecting the tool for further
use. No subject can be well developed
without the use Of mathematics, in the
sense that it is nicely or balance pc
tween means and ends, but some subjects
owe much more to mathematics in the
technical sense than others. Physics,
chemistry and astronomy make direct
demands upon mathematics, while gram
mar, literature and some portions of his
tory involve not the technical phase OF
mathematics, but rather the habit OF ac-
curacy and precision.
In primary education the value of Ian
guage has not been fully realized, be-
cause it has been made an end in itself.
instead of a mode of social communica-
ton. The invention of printing was sAich
an epoch-making invention thatsit is not
strange that the schools have not yet re-
covered from the unnatural emphasis
placed upon language. The development
of scientific thought is doing much to Sc
cure a proper balance. Language is a
system of symbols and to expect the
child to master symbols prior to the COM
prehension of thought or to master them
when the thought conveyed is of no value
to him is to be disappointed. 1t seems
difficult to learn that the form, the tech
Dique, the method, is within the subject
itself and to be appreciated must be alb
stracted from it for the sake of per-
fecting it as tool for future develop
ment.
Language should be used from the
first. but as a means of social commun-
ication. When the child uses it merely
as a mode OF EXPRESSION, ne Is deprived
of much that he should have. There is
value in expression, but it is a purely
individual one at the time. When the
child writes what he knows of subject,
he receives some benefit from the express
sion, and this is not to be underestimate;
but if he reads his composition to his
class a new value appears. His commun-
ication of thought to the class is slim
ulus to which they respond The re-
Spouse reacts upon the reader and makes
him realize his social value. He begins
to feel conscious of himself as social
agent; he, feels his own power or weak
ness; he discovers his place in his world.
The fine arts, too, are an expression of
social life They are one In origin WIN
began to idealize life, when he became
conscious of the fact, he gave expression
to the desire in the medium at hand. The
separation between the constructive ac-
tivitieS and the fine arts was made on
the basis of the real and the ideal. On
the side of form they belong together; on
the side OF content they do not. The con-
tent of the fine arts is more fdealized.
more permanent, more universal. There
is difference, too, in the attitude of
mind of the producer In the case of the
constructive activities, the producer
makes one conscious coordination of ac-
tivitieS which is supported by other CO.
ordinations. He is most interested in the
product; the work is for the sake of the
product. The artist, on the other hand,
makes coordination of a, whole system
of activities, and takes pleasure in the
process, for it is the outlet for all of his
powers. He puts his whole soul into his
work. The activity is pleasure and the
product is beautiful, for it is an adequate
expression of human being. As civil
ization advances. the tendency is more
and more to idealize life to get it's full
value, and this movement is in the direc-
ton of art. DR.. McAlister of Philadelphia
says: we must not forget that the right
enjoyment Of life is as much a function
of living as earning ones daily bread"
1t is not the work, but the attitude of
the individual that determines whether or
not work is artistic. A loaf of bread
painting. A farmer who realizes the So
cial value of his work and who takes
pleasure in it is an artist. If the pleas
ure be merely in the finished product, a
man is not an artist, be he a maker of
symphonies or shoes.
In its socializing influence art is second
to nothing except religion. Art is I'M
selfish. 1t arouses the higher feelings; it
kindles the imagination. 1t takes one out
of his narrow self and makes him feel
his kinship with the universal.
Psychology and philosophy are in life
from the outset, but they are in the syn
crete form. We are often struck with the
sound philosophy of people destitute of
q school education, They are. people who
have a vision of a larger whole than that
presented at any one time, and this is
used to interpret the experiences of life
AT all stages of life this whole is felt
rather than known, but education can do
much to make it of more use. In the
elementary stage of education the teach
er can secure a truer philosophy of life
by rounding out the child's experiences
SO that all of the typical activities of life
may be represented When the stage of
differentiation is reached. the part of
philosophy is to keep the balance, to pre-
serve the unity which in the stage of
differentiation is apt to be lost sight Of
Philosophy keeps in view the larger
whole of which the special subjects are
parts. Without philosophy one would not
know SnpPiJ1
while philosophy without specialization
would result in a merely formal unity
for 1t would lack content. 1t would be
a specialization that would defeat its
own ends
Psychology is the individual side Of So
GEOLOGY and philosophy. Any subject is
psychology in the experience stage. Gram
mar, if well taught, will do much to rem