It notices that there are
certain people called women, others called men; that certain animals
are called sheep, others cattle. One class of objects receives the
name book, another stove, etc. The work of observing, comparing, and
classifying is a perpetual operation in the child's active moods. In
this way, what may appear at first as an interminable confusion or blur
of objects in nature begins to fall into groups and classes with
appropriate names. It is the child's own way of bringing order out of
the apparent chaos of his surroundings. All this process of
classification is natural and nearly unconscious, and results in a
better understanding and interpretation of the things around him.
Observe next the work of an educated _adult_, and how he increases and
arranges his knowledge. If he is an incipient dry-goods merchant he
learns by sight and touch to detect the quality of goods. He compares
and classifies his experiences and becomes in time an expert in judging
textile fabrics. On the other hand he becomes acquainted by personal
contact with various customers and learns how to classify and judge
them both as buyers and as debtors.
If a _botanist_ finds a new plant he examines its stem, leaves, root,
flower, seed, and environment.
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