s of the War of 1812-14, to
study the rainfall of British Columbia, to master the spelling of a
particular word, or to image the pictures contained in the story _Mary
Elizabeth_, then it aims primarily to have pupils come into possession
of a particular fact, or a number of particular facts. On the other
hand, if the lesson aims to teach the pupils the nature of an
infinitive, the rule for extracting square root, the law of gravity, the
classes of nouns, etc., then the aim of the lesson is to convey some
general idea or truth.

APPLIED KNOWLEDGE GENERAL

Before proceeding to a special consideration of such type lessons, it
will be well to note that the mind always applies general knowledge in
the learning process. That is, the application of old knowledge to the
new presentation is possible only because this knowledge has taken on a
general character, or has become a general way of thinking. The tendency
for every new experience, whether particular or general, to pass into a
general attitude, or to become a standard for interpreting other
presentations, is always present, at least after the very early
impressions of infancy. When, for instance, a child observes a strange
object, dog, and perceives its four feet, this idea does not remain
wholly confined to the particular object, but tends to take on a general
character. This consists in the fact that the characteristic perceived
is vaguely thought of as a quality distinct from the dog. This quality,
_four-footedness_, therefore, is at least in some measure recognized as
a quality that may occur in other objects. In other words, it takes on a
general character, and will likely be applied in interpreting the next
four-footed object which comes under the child's attention. So also when
an adult first meets a strange fruit, guava, he observes perhaps that it
is _pear-shaped, yellow-skinned, soft-pulped_, of _sweet taste_, and
_aromatic flavour_. All such quality ideas as pear-shaped, yellow, soft,
etc., as here applied, are general ideas of quality taken on from
earlier experiences. Even in interpreting the qualities of particular
objects, therefore, as this rose, this machine, or this animal, we apply
to its interpretation general ideas, or general forms of thought, taken
on from earlier experiences.

The same fact is even more evident when the mind attempts to build up
the idea of a particular object by an act of imagination. One may
conceive as present, a sphere, re