The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-22
lurking DANGERS
Ambassador Bryce Discusses
Specialization in Education
Before the Students of Johns
Hopkins University.

Baltimore, Feb. 22.-The dangers
that Turk in the modern tendency to-
ward specialization in education were
pointed out to the students of Johns
hopkins university today by James
Bryce, ambassador from Great Britain
to the United States Mr.. Bryce was
among the speakers at the univer-
slty annual celebration of comment
Grafton. He said specialization was in
eVltable because of the far reaching
nature of modern scientific investiga-
t1on; but warned his hearers that mar
roWness of view might result from
TOO close application to a special
branch of study The speaker likened
the pursuit of knowledge to follow
ing path which continually branched
out in many directions. The study
OF many sciences had undergone a
complete change in the last few de-
cades, he said, and Independent
courses were now given by the uni
versities in subjects formerly en-
braced with others under broad
general heading and all given by one
professor. New professionals had
grown up as a result.
This sort of specialization has be-
come inevitable Mr.. Bryce contin-
ued, but there is a consequence at
tached to it which has seemed almost
equally inevitable, namely:
That part of the time which was
previously given to general study, to
a knowledge both of natural science
in general and of other subjects has
now had to be devoted to this special
study.
THE problem has two aspects
raises the question of mastery of the
principles of the sciences of nature in
general as against highly specialized
study of some one department. 1t
also raises the question of the respec-
tive claims of the study of physical
of
against the claims of what may be
called the human sciences, or, if you
prefer it, human subjects.
+ Specialization Essential.
I'm the sphere of natural science
it would include a knowledge not
necessarily wide, but sound and exact
as far as it Went-Of some deductive
science and of some science of obser-
vations or some department of biology
or of such a science as chemistry. On
the human side it would include a
knowledge of one of what may be
called the abstract sciences, and of
one of the obserVational subjects such
as economies or play. 1t would in
clude a knowledge of the principles of
language and it would include history.
Specialization is not only essential
to the progress of discovery but in
many minor ways excellent. The scien-
tific investigator seems to have on the
whole the happiest kind of life that is
now possible.
Admitting all this and more that
might be said on behalf of SPECIALIZE
ton, it is nevertheless right to present
some dangers that seem to arise from
the immense extension of the special
izing tendency.
Devotion to any special study,
whether in the sphere of natural
science or not tends to narrow the
mind and prevents the faculties from
attaining their highest development
Many of the greatest discoveries have
arisen from bringing together facts
and ideas drawn from different regions
whose relations had not previously
been discerned. The more you extend
the range of knowledge, the more
you increase the chance of such dis
coveries. Most of the great men to
whom the progress OF science is due
were not trained as specialists but had
minds that ranged far and wide over
the field of knowledge"