New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-21
THE RETURN TO THE Classic
An Old Fogy Of "a Predicts til. R.,;..,
of Plato and Aristotle
To the Editor of The Tribune.

10 the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: AS a recent college graduate. n. /.
ter of G. S. Bryan on the bigotyy of .e;..'.
and the editorials accompanying IL
ested me. There is no question that ~,
Numerically opposed views of the ms
of college exist to-day. The first view !, a.
cultural. College exists to broaden az
humanize the student, to give him g..
insight into himself, his fellow men ana n.
body of knowledge so vast and unexnlo,..
The other view is that college is a tr.,,;.
school where men can become more h,..,1e
specialized in some practical line OF w.
chemistry, engineering, newspaper work a.,
The men who adopt this second view ran,
to college with their courses desni,,,.
planned, work quite hard and are resSv ).
do very creditable work in their field 40.
graduation The men who come 10 e,n...
for cultural purposes arc in most dineOh
position. They are rarely well grounded !,
the classics; besides, the classics in collie.
are rather dry and bit stiff. Scene. !,
dull, mathematics foolish. But those eOvr.,
in English literature are very ATTRACTIVE.
the history OF modern ietion--do you b.,.
US?
This clear-cut, practical view and M,
vague, fast weakening cultural view hay. n.
acted on the secondary schools, and "A.
classics have suffered in consequence. n.
whole question arises from he character a,
the people. We are superficial in thought
quick in action impatient for immediate re.
suits. l predict a change
am not going 10 defend the classics; ths.
would be unmannerly. / am going to proph.
esy that within a gen aration you will see Oa,
young men who enter college for ayowedy
cultural purposes turn again TO the classics
The classics have not suffered from the n,
cent neglect; those who have never studied
them are the sufferers. dropped classics
when / entered college; | was very young
them would do differently now. The per,
niciousness of the near-scientifc ideal ia
education is that it worships lesser gods at
the expense of the higher. II is not the
most eminent scientists who worship scsrs,
they know too much. The eminent class.
cist does not possess quite the same ders
of liberalism. lie is very reverent before
the old masters. Any one who has rad
Aristotle's politics" even in translation viii
perhaps understand. | am not a seofer a
the scientists. Mr.. Weiss The Wcrld SCI
Free" (Which is a political treatise based 0,
the latest scientific speculations about radio.
active substances) fills me with admiration
and awe, but, after all, We still need AIRS.
totle.
/ Remember. | am an old fogy Of twenty
/ four-a reactionary who has not passed the
ouarter-century mark. But | am rather
! wearied by faddism in education. Back in
| Voltarcs time. | suspect, people must have
/ had educational fads. | am quite sure they
were based on some philosophy which was
in turn founded on some scientific discovery
which in ten years was dumped into the cellar
The study Of the classics helps 70 prevent
shallow thinking. That is the basis Of ny
prophecy Of their renaissance IN the near
future.
Anv honest person in talking about et1'
cation feels much the same lack Of clear
ness and precision that he does when ialp
ing about God. Indeed the two matters an
the same, for your real idea Of God-n@
the one you profess-will determine y'a
idea of education. God represents The it'A
of truth and strength toward which we {"
all asfring, and education, which does ?"
lead in that direction. is folly. Herein ls
my skeptcism toward half-educated seen.
lists, namely, that they worship as CERTAIN
what are only vague surmises. The us
scientist and c'assicist worships vague iuf'
misses as vague surmises and seeks ever
be more certain The ideal Of great seen.
fists and classicists is the same. Do BOT e.
US be ruled by the say-so Of me peIy i
either class. JANIS =. U'i'O'D'
r Palm Beach. Fla, Feb. l6, 1917