?REEK FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS. 133 
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The degree of Bachelor of Arts as now awarded by our universities and colleges is 
anderstood to give proof that the recipient has completed, in a manner satisfactory to his 
preceptors, a college course which includes Greek language and literature. But to a 
considerable proportion of our young people this course is not the best, and in selecting 
‘heir college studies they substitute for the Greek such as they believe will be more 
jirectly and immediately beneficial in their after life as they plan it. But their college 
course, if satisfactorily completed, ought to result in intellectual discipline equal to that 
expected from the classical course, and their college honor ought not to be lower in 
grade. But I do not understand that the degree such students may now claim is 
regarded by college authorities as in any sense inferior to that of Bachelor of Aris, or 
that it fails to indicate equal intellectual discipline ; and it would seem that the fact 
“hat it shows what college course was taken ought to be no objection. It is probable 
-hat something like a public sentiment still regards the old college honor as most desir- 
Wble, but this sentiment is changing, and if it works injustice now the remedy would 
seem to be to help along the change, instead of making the award of college honors 
wholly undistinguishing as between courses. 
Tromas M. COOLEY, , 
Professor of American History and Constitutional Law tn the University of Michigan. 
Should Greek be required in American colleges as one of the prerequisites for the 
B. A. degree ? 
if this question be considered on rational grounds alone, I have no hesitation in saying 
‘hat in my opinion the answer should be, distinctly, yes. 
The arguments which lead to this conclusion have been so frequently and so well 
stated that I need not repeat them ; but some of the facts on which they proceed may 
oe simply mentioned. Study of the Greek language and literature, even though it be 
not profound, gives one a View of the life, modes of thought, and customs of one of 
the most gifted people of the race. The language itself affords material for the best 
kind of discipline. It is the source whence are derived many of the most valuable ele- 
nents of our own language and literature. It is the source of much of the nomencla- 
ure of the learned professions, notably medicine. The various disciplines of science 
wre having constant recourse to the Greek for names of newly-discovered phenomena 
which mark their progress. A knowledge of Greek is of incalculable advantage in 
acquiring the use of modern languages, and so on. 
But my experience in teaching college students, extending over & period of more than 
thirty years, during which I have had under my instruction those who were pursuing 
the B. A. course, and consequently were required. to study Greek, as well as those who 
were pursuing the B. 8. course, in which Greek was not required, has shown, generally 
speaking, that the former are more successful as students of pure science and its 
applications, as physics and chemistry, than the latter. 
During the first ten years of my experience asa college teacher, I also had under 
my instruction students in medicine, many of whom were graduates in Arts, and con- 
sequently had some knowledge of Greek; while others were not college graduates, 
although they had been trained in Latin. The difference in ability to grapple with 
Jifficult subjects was always very markedly in favor of those who had some acquaint 
ance with the Greek, and, so far as I have been able to follow the subsequent profes- 
sional careers of these students, their superiority over their less fortunate classmates has 
seen almost uniformly maintained. 
For some years past] have been giving instruction in electrical science and its appli- 
sations. Most of the students in this course, which, in connection with collateral 
studies, may be termed a course in electrical engineering, have been graduates of 
Princeton Collece or of other colleges. Some of them were graduates in Arts, and had 
17;