bad for the system, we might as well go back to the dominion in
education of the theologians. They were strenuous about theology, but
they let other things alone. The boards of trustees are almost always
made up of "practical men," and if their faiths, ideas, and prejudices
are to make the norm of education, the schools will turn out boys and
girls compressed to that pattern. There is no wickedness in any
disinterested and sincere opinion. That is what we all pretend to admit,
but there are very few of us who really act by it. We seem likely to
have orthodox history (especially of our own country), political
science, political economy, and sociology before long.[2213] It will be
defined by school boards who are party politicians. As fast as physics,
chemistry, geology, biology, bookkeeping, and the rest come into
conflict with interests, and put forth results which have a pecuniary
effect (which is sure to happen in the not remote future), then the
popular orthodoxy will be extended to them, and it will be enforced as
"democratic." The reason is because there will be a desire that children
shall be taught just that one thing which is "right" in the view and
interest of those in control, and nothing else. That is exactly the view
which the ecclesiastics formerly took when they had control. Mathematics
is the only discipline which could be taught under that rule. As to
other subjects we do not know the "right answers," speaking universally
and for all time. We only know how things look now on our best study,
and that is all we can teach. In fact, this is the reason why the
orthodox answers of the school boards and trustees are mischievous. They
teach that there are absolute and universal facts of knowledge, whereas
we ought to teach that all our knowledge is subject to unlimited
verification and revision. The men turned out under the former system,
and the latter, will be very different agents in the face of all
questions of philosophy, citizenship, finance, and industry.

+702. Criticism.+ Criticism is the examination and test of propositions
of any kind which are offered for acceptance, in order to find out
whether they correspond to reality or not. The critical faculty is a
product of education and training. It is a mental habit and power. It is
a prime condition of human welfare that men and women should be trained
in it. It is our only guarantee against delusion, deception,
superstition, and misapprehension of ourselv