Wabash College - Wabash Yearbook (Crawfordsville, IN)

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-2- l7nn.o.sovn'r. -2- PRESIDENT BURROUGHS. PROFESSOR CUNNINGHAM. ax fa T' Y gms Department of Philosophy is devoted to the search after .Q truth regarding those problems of inquiry which fall under the subjects of Logic, Psychology, Ethics, the History of .. Philosophy and the History and Philosophy of Religion. X 1 g The work embraces a considerable portion of the Junior .. and the Senior Years. It is the aim of the department to be at the same time thorough and comprehensive. In method the work is many-sided. Observation and experiment are the natural and necessary bases of investigation. Historical research is carefully and pains- takingly conducted as both an inspiration and a corrective. Speculative and reflective thought are encouraged as stimulating and leading to independent and satisfying results. Philosophy, broadly considered, is to be regarded as the science of sciences. It should do for all the sciences what each does for its own field. It should End the unity of science to be the reflection of the unity of nature, and this in turn the reflection of the unity of the Supreme Reason pervad- ing all nature, the Source of all intelligence, calling all things back into responsive fellowship with itself. All that precedes and accompanies in the college course is to be here gathered up and unified. The love of unity, the great and abiding passion of the mind, becomes the informing spirit of philosophical investigation. Language, literature, history, social science are all regarded as bearing on logic, psychology, ethics. Science, pure and applied, is brought to its largest

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and then in another, up the stream of its transmission through the territory of English life and literature. We notice the iniiuence of this life and literature upon the Scriptures and we observe the more extensive influence which these Scriptures have in turn had in the formation and molding of the life and letters of the English people. But the Scriptures are not simply English literature. Here is a library of world literature, wonderfully gath- ered together, then wonderfully transmitted through the ages. The Scriptures are, to all intent, the mirror of the life of tl1e race in its relations with God, as He uncovers Himself to humanity in its own life. Tracing back the history of this sacred library, through the days of its handing down in manuscript, until we reach the period in which the ancient writings of the Hebrew faith are supplemented, interpreted and completed by the addition of those born of the Christian life, we find our question, Whence is the Bible? naturally changing into the inquiry, What is the Bible? Regarding each book of the collection, we raise and endeavor to answer the whence and the what. Throughout the whole field of inquiry we find in the Scrip- tures themselves our answer. Each book bears witness regarding itself. It testi- fies of the circumstances under which it arose and because of which it was demanded. It reveals to us the personality of him through Whom it came into being. Thus are we led along the pathway of historical and literary study to a realization of the divine authorship of the Scriptures. Increas- ingly this authorship manifests itself through an investigation of the work of the human writers of tl1e several parts. The divine unity of the Bible reveals itself through the consideration of the wonderful relations of its diverse forms viewed as human literature.

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and highest results when the mind is guided by the philosophic spirit: it is supremely fostered by that love of science in its entirety which philosophy gives. Those ultimate principles which are the roots underlying all scientific specializing are to be sought for and found in the work of the Department of Philosophy. Logic is the systematic study of thought. In its principles it is co-ex- tensive with human knowledge. All objects experienced can be treated logically. It is discovered that the general conception of knowledge deter- mines the conception of logic, the general philosophic view of thought determines the view which will be entertained regarding this discipline. Here are the distinctions of metaphysical, empirical, formal and mixed logic. The solution of logical problems commands special attention. Time and pains are devoted to the handling of the difficulties of individual thinkers in the class. The work in Psychology stands in direct relation to work in physiology. The structure and functions of the brain are carefully considered in their bearings upon the subject. Theses are prepared as the result of special individual investigations. The course of thought in special philosophical research must be inquir- ing and critical in order to be faithful and exhaustive. A positive philosophy rightly prepares for a critical. We turn from the relations of the known to an examination of the conditions and guarantees of knowledge. A theory of being and becoming, which shall be satisfying, is to be found. Final and efficient causes are to be considered. We ask what is the goal of science? What the goal of life? What of beauty? What of truth? What of virtue? We ask these things in view of the thought and experience of the past. We think regarding these problems i11 view of the speculations and theories of the centuries. The steps of 111ental advancement in tl1e ex- perience of the race and in the thinking of the student are found to be along the pathway of sensation, knowledge, science, philosophy, and this last, in turn,,is found to be, stage by stage, positive, critical, metaphysical, practical.