Newark post., 1911-08-23

of knowledge. Learning is ac-
quired at second hand, as convey
ed through books. knowledge is
acquired at first hand, through OBJ
servation, experiment or expert
ence.
1t is true that a part of our edu-
cation must be of a nature Oh
acquired learning, as there is no
possible, or at least convenient,
way of acquiring this frst-hand
knowledge.
Thus, we may be able to visit
but a small part Of the world, and
must accept the statements of our
biographies at second hand. Bet
ter, of course, if we could learn all
Our geography bymeans of travel |;
better to sail around an island,
than to learn the definition of one.
In the same way, it is better to
sit at the feet of great teacher
than to read his books; but best
of all, to get his method and in
spiration, SO that you can do
something yourself.
1t is therefore assumed at the
outset that first hand knowledge is
not only desirable, but whenever
possible should be the only kind
to be diligently sought.
Certain sources are fundamen-
tai, these being logic and mathe-
mates. They concern correct me-
thods OF reasoning, without which
all thought must be unreliable.
| once heard a distinguished
priest, expert in character training
go SO far as to say that a boy or
girl could seldom be strictly truth
full without some knowledge of
mathematics.
Logic should be taught co-or-
dlnately with grammar and mathe-
MATES, fro mthe grammar grades,
and drill in it should be continu-
ous, until pupil is as sensitive to
a family argument as a musician is
to false note in music.
Unless we know how to reason
correctly, all our ability to acquire
knowledge by observation, expert
ment and experience will only give
us amass of dry, disjointed facts
without use.
Language is the expression of
thought, and we must be able to
state our observations clearly.
This is part of language work !;
but frequently our observations
can be conveyed more accurately
andplainly by means of drawing
and photography.
Thus we come to the statement
that there are certain fundamentals
necessary before pupil is fitted to
acquire any kind of knowledge at
first hand, and these fundamentals
are:
Mathematics.
Logic.
Language.
Drawing.
Thus, you will see that we are
concerned with the acquiring of
knowledge at first hand in a definite
orderly way; not in any haphazard
orby-chance fashion. This is what
we understand by the Scientific
Method and the sum of the
knowledge thus acquired we call
Science. Science therefore in
cludes everything that comes with
in this scope.
Science in the first place deals
with fact sInd these facts are ac-
qulred by observation and expert
ence. The statement of fact bv
a person for the first time is never
accepted as final in Science. 1t
must be repeated, and confirmed
by others. This is because the in
divldual power of observation is
not infallible, and the personal ele-
ment must be cut out. This is
true not only of sense observa-
tons, but also fthe statements
OF facts from experience.
Science brooks no uncertain
ties. Its facts must be established
beyond doubt before they become
part OF its fabric. Facts may
stand by themselves as final and
complete; or they may be of no
value except as connected with
other facts.
In the first case, repeated OBJ
servatlons may show that a GER
tain substance is twice as heavy
as tn e same volume of water,
This means that it has a specific
gravity Of 2. Such fact is final
and complete in giving one char
acter to the substance fss Experi-
c1 ii