The American Economic Review Volume 11 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1921 Excerpt: ...any reasonable doubt that some are capable of being trained much more highly than others because of a difference in natural ability." Passing that, how shall such Herculean feats of education be consummated? We are not blessed with fairy wands to endow our students with sweet reasonableness and teachableness (see p. 35). Nor yet equipped with such superabundance of teaching talent or genius that we may hope to overrule in a single generation the deadly weight of bad example, vicious or misleading ideals, and ingrained early habits of thought and character necessarily resultant from the overlapping of generations. However earnestly we set to work we cannot expect to deal with a generation absolutely plastic, and untrammelled with earlier traditions and disturbing influences. The conclusion seems inevitable that our ardent youths are doomed to disappointment as early as it will be severe if they tackle this problem with hope of a quick and complete victory. It might be better to send them to the conflict with a clear-eyed vision of the inherent complexities and enormous dimensions of the contest before them and with anticipations of a lengthy struggle. A final question may be raised as to the underlying philosophy of the book. It aims at national welfare and it finds such welfare in a program which insures that our nation shall be selected to expand in wealth, numbers, and power and ultimately possess the earth. It is a stern philosophy which admits no mitigation or cessation of international rivalry nor of the pressure of populations. It finds that "victory must ultimately go to the race or nation with the most efficient standard of living," and calls for "preparedness for this ultimate and decisive conflict" through "study of t...