Practical Essays. Alexander Bain
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of Competitive Examinations.
Successive steps towards their adoption.
First absolutely open Competition—in the India Service.
Macaulay's Report on the subjects for examination and their values.
Table of Subjects. Innovations of Lord Salisbury.
An amended Table.
II. THE SCIENCE CONSIDERED.
Doubts expressed as to the expediency of the competitive system.
Criticism of the present prescription for the higher Services.
The Commissioners' Scheme of Mathematics and Natural Science objectionable.
Classification of the Sciences into Abstract or fundamental, and Concrete or derivative.
Those of the first class have a fixed order, the order of dependence.
The other class is represented by the Natural History Sciences, which bring into play the Logic of Classification.
Each of these is allied to one or other members of the primary Sciences.
The Commissioners' Table misstates the relationships of the various Sciences.
The London University Scheme a better model.
The choice allowed by the Commissioners not founded on a proper principle.
The higher Mathematics encouraged to excess.
Amended scheme of comparative values.
Position of Languages in the examinations.
The place in education of Language generally.
Purposes of Language acquisition.
Altered position of the Classical, languages.
Alleged benefits of these languages, after ceasing to be valuable in their original use.
The teaching of the languages does not correspond to these secondary values.
Languages are not a proper subject for competition with a view to appointments.
For foreign service, there should be a pass examination in the languages needful.
The training powers attributed to languages should be tested in its own character.
Instead of the Languages of Greece, Rome, &c., substitute the History and Literature.
Allocation of marks under this view.
Objections answered.
Certain subjects should be obligatory.
IV. THE CLASSICAL CONTROVERSY. ITS PRESENT ASPECT.
Attack on Classics by Combe, fifty years ago.
Alternative proposals at the present day:—
1. The existing system Attempts at extending the Science course under this system.
2. Remitting Greek in favour of a modern language. A defective arrangement.
3. Remitting both Latin and Greek in favour of French and German.
4. Complete bifurcation of the Classical and the Modern sides.
The Universities must be prepared to admit a thorough modern alternative course.
Latin should not be compulsory in the modern side.
Defences of Classics.
The argument from the Greeks knowing only their own language—never answered.
Admission that the teaching of classics needs improvement.
Alleged results of contact with the great authors of Greece and Rome—unsupported by facts.
Amount of benefit attainable without knowledge of originals.
The element of training may be obtained from modern languages.
The classics said to keep the mind free from party bias.
Canon Liddon's argument in favour of Greek as a study.
V. METAPHYSICS AND DEBATING SOCIETIES.
Metaphysics here taken as comprising Psychology, Logic, and their dependent sciences.
Importance of the two fundamental departments.
The great problems, such as Free-will and External Perception should be run up into systematic Psychology.
Logic also requires to be followed out systematically.
Slender connection of Logic and Psychology.
Derivative Sciences:—Education.
Aesthetics—a corner of the larger field of Human Happiness
The treatment of Happiness should be dissevered from Ethics
Adam Smith's loose rendering of the conditions of happiness
Sociology—treated, partly in its own field, and partly as a derivative of Psychology.
Through it lies the way to Ethics.
The sociological and the ethical ends compared.
Factitious applications of Metaphysical study.
Bearings on Theology, as regards both attack and defence.
Incapable of supplying the place of Theology.
Polemical handling of Metaphysics.
Methodised Debate in the Greek Schools.
Much must always be done by the solitary thinker.
Best openings for Polemic:—Settling' the meanings of terms.
Discussing the broader generalities.
The Debate a fight for mastery, and ill-suited for nice adjustments.
The Essay should be a centre of amicable co-operation, which would have special advantages.
Avoidance of such debates as are from their very nature interminable.
VI. THE UNIVERSITY IDEAL—PAST AND PRESENT.
The Higher Teaching in Greece.
The Middle Age and Boëthius.
Eve of the University.
Separation of Philosophy from Theology.
The Universities of Scotland founded—their history.
First Period.—The Teaching Body.
The Subjects taught and manner of teaching.
Second Period.—The Reformation.
Modified Curriculum—Andrew Melville.
Attempted reforms in teaching.
System of Disputation.
Improvements constituting the transition to the Third Period.
The Universities and the political revolutions.
How far the Universities are essential to professional teaching: perennial alternative of Apprenticeship.
The Ideal Graduate.
Study more immediately supposes learning from Books.
The Greeks did not found an Art of Study, but afforded examples: Demosthenes.
Quintilian's