The Early History of Science and Learning in America Twentieth Century Philosophy Bibliography of Research Studies in Education, 1939–40 A Challenge to Scholarship

Abstract

THE first item in the above list recalls the interesting fortunes of the word 'philosophy'—originally the love of wisdom, and the search for causes of all things in heaven and earth. In course of time a distinction was made between natural and moral philosophy, but the old meaning still survives, for example, in the degree of doctor of philosophy. The Royal Society of London, founded in 1660, essentially scientific in its outlook, has ever been famous for its Philosophical Transactions, which are records of scientific investigations. The American Philosophical Society was founded at Philadelphia by Benjamin Franklin in 1743. It had little or nothing to do with philosophy as we now understand the term. Its interests lay in new discoveries in what we now call the sciences, in “all philosophic [that is, scientific] experiments that let light into the nature of things, tend to increase the power of man over matter, and multiply the conveniences and pleasures of life”. It was the parent of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, founded in 1840. Since the organization of the latter, the American Philosophical Society has become a local scientific association for Philadelphia. But though a local association, it is broad in its outlook, as its latest Proceedings show. Not only does it deal with the part played by the Society in the world of science, and in the development of American education, but also with American contributions to historiography, linguistics, economics, anthropology, archæology and architecture. These Proceedings are a most interesting record of a few of America's past achievements in science.

The Early History of Science and Learning in America

Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 87, No. 1. Pp. iii + 120. (Philadelphia, 1943.)

Twentieth Century Philosophy

Living Schools of Thought. Edited by Dr. Dagobert D. Runes. Pp. 571. (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1943.) 5 dollars.

Bibliography of Research Studies in Education, 1939–40

(Federal Security Agency, U.S. Office of Education.) (Washington, D.C.: Superintendent of Documents.) 50 cents.

A Challenge to Scholarship

By W. Mansfield Clark. (University of Pennsylvania Bicentennial Conference.) (University of Pennsylvania Press.)