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 A

 PRACTICAL ENQUIRY

 INTO

 THE PHILOSOPHY

 OF

 EDUCATION.


 BY JAMES GALL,

 INVENTOR OF THE TRIANGULAR ALPHABET FOR THE BLIND; AND
 AUTHOR OF THE "END AND ESSENCE OF SABBATH
 SCHOOL TEACHING," &c.

 "_The Works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have
 pleasure therein._"--PSAL. cxi. 2.




 EDINBURGH:
 JAMES GALL & SON,
 24, NIDDRY STREET.
 LONDON: HOULSTON & STONEMAN, 65, PATERNOSTER-ROW.
 GLASGOW; GEORGE GALLIE. BELFAST: WILLIAM M'COMB.

 MDCCCXL




Printed by J. Gall & Son. 22, Niddry Street.




PREFACE.


The Author of the following pages is a plain man, who has endeavoured to
write a plain book, for the purpose of being popularly useful. The
philosophical form which his enquiries have assumed, is the result
rather of accidental circumstances than of free choice. The strong
desire which he felt in his earlier years to benefit the Young, induced
him to push forward in the paths which appeared to him most likely to
lead to his object; and it was not till he had advanced far into the
fields of philosophy, that he first began dimly to perceive the
importance of the ground which he had unwittingly occupied. The truth
is, that he had laboured many years in the Sabbath Schools with which he
had connected himself, before he was aware that, in his combat with
ignorance, he was wielding weapons that were comparatively new; and it
was still longer, before he very clearly understood the principles of
those Exercises which he found so successful. One investigation led to
another; light shone out as he proceeded; and he now submits, with full
confidence in the truth of his general principles and deductions, the
results of more than thirty years' experience and reflection in the
great cause of Education.

He has only further to observe, that the term "NATURE," which
occurs so frequently, has been adopted as a convenient and popular mode
of expression. None of his readers needs to be informed, that this is
but another manner of designating "THE GOD OF NATURE," whose
laws, as established in the young mind, he has been endeavouring humbly,
and perseveringly to imitate.

 _Myrtle Bank, Trinity, Edinburgh, 8th May, 1840._




CONTENTS


 PART I.

 ON THE PRELIMINARY OBJECTS NECESSARY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND
 IMPROVEMENT OF EDUCATION.


 CHAP. I.                                                            Page

 On the Importance of establishing the Science of Education on a
 solid Foundation,                                                     13


 CHAP. II.

 On the Cultivation of Education as a Science,                         16


 CHAP. III.

 On the Improvement of Teaching as an Art,                             25


 CHAP. IV.

 On the Establishment of Sound Principles in Education,                32


 PART II.

 ON THE GREAT DESIGN OF NATURE'S TEACHING, AND THE METHODS SHE
 EMPLOYS IN CARRYING IT ON.


 CHAP. I.

 A Comprehensive View of the several Educational Processes
 carried on by Nature,                                                 37


 CHAP. II.

 On the Method employed by Nature for cultivating the Powers of
 the Mind,                                                             45


 CHAP. III.

 On the Means by which Nature enables her Pupils to acquire
 Knowledge,                                                            52


 CHAP. IV.

 On Nature's Method of communicating Knowledge to the Young by
 the Principle of Reiteration,                                         56


 CHAP. V.

 On the Acquisition of Knowledge by the Principle of
 Individuation,                                                        65


 CHAP. VI.

 On the Acquisition of Knowledge by the Principle of Association,
 or Grouping,                                                          72


 CHAP. VII.

 On the Acquisition of Knowledge by the Principle of Analysis,
 or Classification,                                                    83


 CHAP. VIII.

 On Nature's Methods of Teaching her Pupils to make use of their
 Knowledge,                                                            95


 CHAP. IX.

 On Nature's Methods of Applying Knowledge by the Principle of
 the Animal, or Common Sense,                                         101


 CHAP. X.

 On Nature's Method of applying Knowledge, by means of the
 Moral Sense, or Conscience,                                          111


 CHAP. XI.

 On Nature's Method of Training her Pupils to Communicate
 their Knowledge,                                                     129


 CHAP. XII.

 Recapitulation of the Philosophical Principles developed
 in the previous Chapters,                                            141


 PART III.

 ON THE METHODS BY WHICH THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES OF NATURE MAY BE
 SUCCESSFULLY IMITATED.


 CHAP. I.

 On the Exercises by which Nature may be imitated in cultivating
 the Powers