il is able the more easily to form
this accurate notion, because he no doubt has already a store of
abstract notions with which to interpret the presentation, and also
because his interest and attention is directed into the proper channels
by the teacher.

=B. Division of Known Classes.=--A second common mode of developing new
concepts in school work is in breaking up larger classes into
co-ordinate sub-classes. This, of course, involves the developing of new
concepts to cover these sub-classes. In such cases, however, the new
notions are merely modified forms of the higher class notion. When, for
example, the pupil gains general notions representative of the classes,
proper noun and common noun, the new terms merely add something to the
intension of the more extensive term noun. This will be evident by
considering the difference between the notions noun and proper noun.
Both agree in possessing the attribute _used to name_. The latter is
more intensive, however, because it signifies _used to name a particular
object_. Although in such cases the lesson seems in a sense to develop
new general notions, they represent merely an adding to the intension
of a notion already possessed by the child.

=Use of the Term.=--A further problem regarding the process of
conception concerns the question of the significance of a name. When a
person uses such a term as dog, whale, hepatica, guava, etc., to name a
certain object, what is the exact sense, or meaning, in which the name
is to be applied? A class name, when applied scientifically to an
object, is evidently supposed to denote the presence in it of certain
essential characteristics which belong to the class. It is clear,
however, that the ordinary man rarely uses these names with any
scientific precision. A man can point to an object and say that it is a
horse, and yet be ignorant of many of the essential features of a horse.
In such cases, therefore, the use of the name merely shows that the
person considers the object to belong to a certain class, but is no
guarantee that he is thinking of the essential qualities of the class.
It might be said, therefore, that a class term is used for two somewhat
different purposes, either to denote the object merely, or to signify
scientifically the attributes possessed by the object. It is in the
second respect that danger of error in reasoning arises. So far as a
name represents the attributes of a class, it will signify for us just
thos