Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/117

 REVIEWS lOI

Since the pupil passes through the same stages of development as the race, the same phases and modes of life and thought, the method of the race's development becomes a guide to the general development of the individual. The pupil must repeat the experience of the race ; but he must do this by "short cuts," as clearly brought out. The author defines education to be a " purposeful social effort to effect 'short cuts' in the mental development of the individual." The prob- lem of teaching, then, is to produce the race experience in the indi- vidual in the shortest possible amount of time.

There is one point implied in this theory that should not be over- looked, namely, that the pupil cannot inherit race experience and cul- ture as one inherits property and the advantages of material civiliza- tion ; but he must attain to it through experience ; must earn it. The " short cut " must not cut short the legitimate experience in the process of attaining knowledge. The memory process of book learning is a desperate effort to make unearned appropriation of race experience. But in this the pupil does not repeat the experience of the race, for the race did not advance by that process. Hence, in this race devel- opment theory for the individual there is not only marked out the general stages of the process, but, what is of more vital consequence, the essential nature of the process. Let it then be said with emphasis that the pupil must repeat the experience of the race; and, being an individual, must make the shortest cut possible consistent with repeat- ing the essential elements of the race experience. Straight and narrow is the way.

The book culminates in a strong and much needed emphasis of unity of thought in a curriculum of studies. This is done in the last two chapters of the book : " Integration of Studies" and "A Tenta- tive Curriculum." The author seems to feel strongly the need of a reform in college courses, to the effect that there should be courses given which will unify and systematize the various subjects studied. This need is certainly imperative. The college student usually has no organizing principle for his life and thought. While this might be supplied, more or less, in the various lines of study, it can be effectively done only by a systematic effort and course of work. The author pre- sents a " tentative curriculum " in order to suggest the method of car- rying out the general thought of unification.

The book moves wholly in the thought of giving the individual to be educated his intrinsic unity with the race, and since the race expe- rience is integrated, organized experience, either unconscious or con-