Omaha daily bee., 1915-03-19

had supposed satisfactorily done for all dur
Ing the closing decades OF tho stirring NTH century
before Christ u is a long time since Socrates
tracted from Gorgias the admission that with the
ignorant the ignorant is persuasive than
he who has knowledge.
Men OF EverIasting BeEinninRr.
one result OF differing man.made or
professor-made universes Ia frequency and variety
OF conflict that would tax the mathematician 20
enumerate and the historian TO classify The notion
that nothing much this Is permanent and worth while
has been either known accomplished until our own
brave selves came upon the scene makes education
difficult and, from points OF view, impossible.
II the world Is to begin over again whenever new
appointment is made 10 PROFESSIONAL chair. 1t Is
probably plain that tho in the street will soon
dispense with the services and the guidance Of the
men OF everlasting beginnings In much the same
way now asked TO believe that whenever
callow youth makes a minute addition to his stock OF
information the sum-total OF human knowledge has
been increased the result OF scientific investigation
Il is Just this mxing-up OF the Individual with the
cosmos and OF the morning paper with the history OF
civilization that is the weakest point In academic
teaching at the present time. particularly In those sub
Jects which history economics, politics,
ethics and public law. Those who remember the strik-
ing lectures Of Heinrich Treitschke recently dis
covered by England and America and much dis
cussed by both countries, will recall the fact that
he gave but scant attention to the teaching Of the
history OF Europe and Of Germany. athoush hts chair
was supposed to deal with those subjects. What
Treitschke really did was to make lectures the
history OF Europe and OF Germany the vehicle for tie
sonal opinions and things in the world about
him. In some degree, therefore. Treitschke was
the forerunnsr OF that now very considerable class
OF American university professors who devote no small
part OF their time expressing to their students their
personal views the politics, the literature and
the society OF the day while in form offering instruc-
tion anything from astronomy to zoology. There
IL something to be said for the policy Of making
academic teaching effective by relating It TO present
day interests and problems but there Is nothing to
he said for turning academic teaching into
in contemporary journalism. When cOnsld.
erable town has Its Napoleon OF finance and
every political group It's Hamilton It's Jefferson,
there is some danger of getting mixed to standards
Temptation to Prescribe for All Ills.
All these are troubles which have come upon the
PROFESSIONAL class as result OF the public appeal
made to us for expression or opinion on current
topics II be a profound student of Plato he is
expected without warning to pass an Illuminating
critical judgment upon the latest outgiving Of Mr.
George Bernard Shaw. 1t no happens TO- be well
versed IN the economic thought of Germany and
Austria, he is called upon for authoritative
preston OF opinion regarding the strike OF coal miners
IN Colorado. II by any chance he has written
a book any aspect OF railway organization
ment finance. ME the risk Of being capped
upon public commission TO supervise and in part to
control the railway systems OF a STAGE nation. All
these dangers and embarassments to which the
alert university professor whose name known in the
newspaper offices is constantly subjected. Avoid
OF them is possible only for the sagacious ana
well-baanced scholar who knows that no single
master-key will unlock all human doors OF difficulty
The Initiation of SOCIOLOGY"
One of the chief tools OF the present-day academic
conJurer is the blessed word sociology. particularly
in the hands OF not trained socologist
Both AugJste Comte and Herbert Spencer would be
not little surprised what has become of the
term that they fonded tendery IL u now stretched
70 include everything that possibly relate the
diagnosis Of social ills well everything that can
possibly relate TO social therapeutics Not even the
subties OF physicists has vet worked theory OF
the eactcity OF that Is adequate explain the
potentiates of the word sociology. This world once
innocent and impressive is under cloud be-
OF its attempt 20 establish a world empire
Poetry and alchemy, science and song religion and
mythology. philosophy and magic. all reduced 10
counters in Its great world game Naturally these
smaller and ambitious states bave became restless and
showing signs OF revolt They wish 10 be permitted
to live their lives and not TO be made vassals
OF mighty overload who possesses all knowledge
who wieldH all power and who monopolizes all ex-
plantations Just law under from curious
mixture OF sentiment and lore that calls itself
sociological jurisprudence and which understand 20
be sort Of legal osteopathy. We only await with
concern the reactions in the appropriate lahore
tories when sociological physics. a sociological
chemistry, and socioogca anatomy appear upon
the