The Bearing of Higher Geometry on the School Course

Extract

The subject of discussion this morning is “The bearing of higher geometry on the school course”. The difficulties of geometry are well-known, though not all of you will entirely endorse the opinion expressed about 350 years ago by a certain Hubert Languet, who wrote to Sir Philip Sidney as follows: “I know not whether it is wise to apply your mind to geometry, though it is a noble study and well worthy of a fine understanding, but . . . you are not overcheerful by nature, and it is a study which will make you still more grave; and as it requires the strongest application of the mind, it is likely to wear out the powers of the intellect, and very much to impair the health.”