Bud “Bil University Entered as sec N un NHE LIGRAR} the State of New Yuvke"Budietinu ass matter August 2, 1913, at the Post Office at Albany, e act of August 24, 1912. Acceptance for mailing at te of postage provided for in section 1103, act of October 3, 1917, authorized July 19, 1918 Published Fortnightly ALBANY, N. Y. _ September 1, ‘1924 LABUS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS ECONOMICS This ‘syllabus has been prepared by a committee; consisting of Professor E. E. Agger of Columbia University; Edwin W. Hoote, g of the DeWitt Clinton High School, New York City; Hxedér ‘tke iy Williams of the Binghamton Central High School; and E. P. Smith, 9 of the State Department of Education. It is new insferm dnd the method of approach represents an advance over earlier syllabuses. Pit i is intended strictly for use in the fourth year of the high school. JAMES SULLIVAN Assistant Commissioner for Secondary Education ALBANY THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF ‘NEW YORK PRESS 1924 H159r-N24-2500( 3360) * THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OZ: W YORK Regents of the University With years when terms expire 1934 CuHeEsTER S. Lorp M.A., LL.D., Chancellor - Brooklyn 1936 ApDELBERT Moot LL.D., Vice Chancellor - Buffalo 1927 ALBERT VANDER VEER M.D., M.A., Ph.D., L Albany 1925 CHARLES \B: ALEXANDER M.A. SLIZ Beis Litt. ‘Deir Geis fs =) = SE 1928 Water Guest Ketioce B.A., LL.D, = = 1932 JAMES BYRNE(B-AY CL.Bo LED =) =e 1931 Tuomas J. Mancan M.A. - - - - - - 1933 Witiiam J. Wattin M.A. - - - - = - 1935 ‘WILLIAM -Bonpy M.A), EB. Pi). 1930 WitLtiam P. BAKer B.L., Litt Dol = \ae- President of the University and Commissioner of Education FRANK P. Graves PhD: Vata Dose De ieee Deputy Commissioner and Counsel Frank B. Gitpert B.A., LL.D. \ Assistant Commissioner and Director of, Professional Education Aucustus S. DowninG M-A., Pdi)! LiHiD. Ei Assistant Commissioner for Secondary Education JAMES SULLIVAN M.A., Ph.D. Assistant Commissioner for Elementary Education GeorceE M. Witey M.A., Pd.D., LL.D. Director of State Library James I. Wver M.L.S., Pd.D. Director of Science and State Museum JOHN M.\CrarKe Ph.D) .DiSci CED: Directors of Divisions Administration, LLoyp L. CHENEy B.A. Archives and History, ALEXANDER C. Frick M.A., Litt.D., Ph.D. Attendance, JAMES D. SULLIVAN Examinations and Inspections, AVERY W. SKINNER B.A., Pd.D. Finance, CLarK W. HALLIDAY Law, Irwin Esmonp Ph.B., LL.B. Library Extension, WiLt1AmM R. Watson B.S. School Buildings and Grounds, FrRanK H. Woop M.A. Visual Instruction, ALFRED W. ABRAMS Ph.B. Vocational and Extension Education, LEwrs A. WILSON University of the State of New York Bulletin Entered as second-class matter August 2, 1913, at the Post Office at Albany, N. Y., under the act of August 24, 1912. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, act of October 3, 1917, authorized July 19, 1918 Published Fortnightly No. 811 ALBANY NScY . September 1, 1924 INTRODUCTION The proper teaching of economics like the teaching of any science demands on the part of the teacher a thorough preliminary training and a well-defined purpose to make the study one which shall primarily train the pupil to think. The object aimed at by the teacher should be to train the students to understand the working of our present economic system. In attaining this object each teacher must decide for himself the question of method to be pursued. The necessity of relying upon available textbooks restricts the teachers’ freedom in this respect, but within the limits imposed by the particular text employed, the teacher must work out that combination of “ deductive” and “ inductive ’’ method which seems to him best adapted to his particular teaching problem. Taught aright. economics gives a training supplied in like degree by no other subject and is therefore essential to every complete scheme of education. The training which it gives in the develop- ment of the power to reason is not less valuable than that given by the study of mathematics although they differ somewhat radically in character. The reasoning of mathematics is rigid, inevitable: given certain premises, certain conclusions must follow. The reasoning of economics is probable reasoning: given certain data, certain results probably will follow, for economics must allow at every turn for that most variable element, human nature. The reasoning of economics is therefore the reasoning commonly used in life and its data concern every human being. This accounts for the special value of the subject. In the past the teaching of economics has suffered from a certain lack of reality. ‘‘ Classical economics” grew out of a much simpler economic system than that in which we now find ourselves. The teacher must always remember that the economic world whose basic principles he is seeking is not the world of Adam Smith in 1776 in England, but that of the pupil now living here in New York State; that the principles of economics are not like those of geometry, of universal validity, but are valid only for communities of men of the + THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK kind studied and at the time studied. The political economy of the Hottentot is not the political economy of the citizen of New York State. Teaching, therefore, must be concrete, every principle must be tested by applying it to actual conditions in the local community. If this be done, the student will not be guilty of the common fallacy of setting practice over against theory. He will realize that every sound theory is but an accurate. generalization of facts. There is no opposition between fact and theory. Facts are useful only in so far as they have a meaning for us. a ’ ‘ire caf alin kos , > iba! > . + : vale ah . rn stl dese : 7 heer : ey ' ’ ih pal’ : ¥ , type I mun 0112 105878885 a