Evening journal., 1916-06-14
HON. JOHN BASSETT MOORE POINTS OUT
DANGER OF SUPERFICIALlTY TO CLASS
OF DELAWARE COLLEGE GRADUATES

schools IN the United States, prepared
under the auspices OF the Carnegie
Endowment for the Advancement Of
Teaching, which is now engaged in a
similar investigation Of law schools.
Institutions claiming. by virtue Of
their titular designation, the rank Of
universities. have not been guiltless
Of comforting degrees in subjects in
which no adequate instruction was
provided; and, while such things may
TO some extent be regarded as the
etfervescence Of a period Of feverish-
growth. they have exerted baneful
influence In fostering loose concep-
tions of public and private duty
FaVorS Liberal Education.
But. in making this statement, I
desire to avoid the inference that I
advocate a narrow and restricted
curriculum On the contrary, I adopt,
without amendment or qualification,
the words of the Act of 1862, which,
whilo exacting instruction in agricul-
ture and the mechanic arts. expressly
embraced in It's purview other scien-
tihc as well as classical studies, to
the end that the education OF the
people might be not only practical
but also liberal We are accustomed
/ TO speak of mind and of matter,
and although we may be unable pre-
cisely to denote where the one ends
and the other begins. yet we cannot
be unconscious of the operation OF
the spiritual forces that create and
fix our ideals and inspire our efforts
TO reach a higher plane of thought
and Of action. These forces. without
whose elovating influence life. no mat
ter how elaborate and ornate its
trappings may be, tends TO sink to the
level Of mere physical existence. II is
the special function of liberal studies
among which may particularly
mention psychology and ethics. to
explain. TO stimulate and to direct
The importance Of such studies
therefore. cannot be too strongly
2 emphasized.
There are two forms OF compare
lively recent systematic educational
activity to which desire to advert
and these are extension teaching anC
the summer school. I'm both these
forms Of activity. in whose usefulness
ardently believe. Delaware College
is now engaged. The specific benefit
they offer is that, through their
agency, increasing numbers of per
sons. thirsting for knowledge. are
enabled to share the advantages az
forded by established institutions o
learning. with definite and progress.
sive educational aims. In this wa.
the power and influence OF such in
stitutions are vastly extended, ant
educational standards are gradual!
raised. / do not doubt that the peo
pie of the State feel a lively interes
and a Just pride in what Delawar
College is accomplishing in thes
directions. and that they will accor
to IT. as the appointed centre OF thei
educational system. their generou
support in all its efforts to serv
~ them
: Specialization Not AntidOte.
. "Of the tendency towards super
y hciality. OF which I have heretofor
!, spoken the tendency towards spC
y cialization is often mentioned as IN
antithesis: but it is by no mean
u certain that the latter should be re
garded as an antd6te to the formel
While specialization is no doubt es
sential to expertness, IL cannot alon
assure the highest efficiency. AS spe
realization necessarily restricts tn
scope OF ones studies, it tends (
narrow the vision and Il shoul
= therefore be entered upon only afte
general cultivation Of the menta
faculties, such as will enable the in
vestigator both to form a just com
, parative estimate Of the results of hi
, own labors and to continue to deriv
a light from other sources.
such a preparation is altogethe
compatible with. and may indeed
4 said to be conditioned upon, the in
, culcation OF those habits Of patienc