University of Virginia Library

CORCORAN SCHOOL OF HISTORICAL SCIENCE.

Political Economy and Science of Society.

Professor Holmes.

In this class there are two courses, each of three lectures a week throughout
the session. Political Economy will be prosecuted for the B. A., and Science of
Society for the M. A.

Political Economy.—In the treatment of this department of knowledge,
there is no rigid adherence to the school of Smith, Ricardo and Mill. The
modification of older doctrines, necessitated by the increase of productive inventions
and productive operations, is steadily regarded. Attention is paid to
the inquiries and criticisms of Thornton, Cairnes, Jevons, Marshall, etc.; and
the altered views propounded by Laveleye, Walker, and the school of the Cathedrists
and other German schools, are duly considered.

Text-Books.—Walker's Political Economy (advanced course); Mill's Political Economy
(abridged).

Science of Society.—In this is prosecuted the investigation of the laws
and movements, the growth, decay, and constitution of Societies, in the different
phases and stages of social development. The necessary organic functions of
Society are studied in their several forms. They are also regarded in their reciprocal
relations and in their conjoint action in successive forms of civilization.
All systems are interpreted; no ideal constitution is contemplated. The course
is descriptive of processes by which experienced results have been obtained, not
speculative in advocacy of theoretic dreams.

This Class is dependent on notes for the Lectures, as no text-book exists.

The Post-Graduate Course in this School, leading to the degree of
Ph. D., will be varied from year to year, but will always be designed to train
the student in original research and systematic exposition of the results. Special
topics will be studied, and such instructions and directions as may be required
to render the pursuit efficacious will be given throughout the session.

History.

Adjunct Professor Dabney.

General History.—In this class, which comprises the historical work
required for the B. A. degree, great stress is laid on the view that the career of
man, as revealed in History, is not a mere jumble of disconnected dates and
facts, but a continuous stream, having its sources and tributaries in the far-off
past, its outlet in the remote future. No attempt is made, however, to traverse
in the class-room the entire length of this stream; for, although constant efforts
are made to demonstrate the vital connection of nation with nation, of generation
with generation, and of anterior with ensuing conditions of historical development,

the lectures are confined to the more important periods, the student
being required to fill the gaps by private reading. The periods, and, therefore,
the text-books studied, may be more or less varied each year. Three lectures
a week.

Text-Books.—Fisher's Outlines of Universal History; Smith's History of Greece;
Froude's Cæsar; Capes's Age of the Antonines; Church's Beginning of the Middle Ages;
Bryce's Holy Roman Empire; Seebohm's Era of the Protestant Revolution; Gardiner's
Thirty Years' War; Dabney's Causes of the French Revolution; Morris's French Revolution
and First Empire.

English and American History.—In this advanced class the principles
taught in the preceding course will be applied to a more special field; and
in order that the students may be encouraged to exercise independent thought
and judgment, they will be required to write essays on assigned topics. Graduates
in General History will derive most benefit from this course. It may be
taken, however, by others; and, as considerable attention will be paid to constitutional
development, students intending to study Law will find the course of
advantage. Candidates for the M. A. degree selecting History as one of their
four subjects must graduate both in this course and in the preceding. Three
lectures a week.

Text-Books.—Gardiner's History of England; Green's Short History of the English
People; Gardiner's Atlas of English History; Percy Greg's History of the United States;
Mac Coun's Historical Geography of the United States.

The Post-Graduate Course.—This course is designed for those students
who aim at the Ph. D. degree and expect to become professors of History.
A large amount of reading will be assigned, and frequent discussions of
important points will be held between student and professor. The aim will be
to cultivate the habit of original research; and, if History be the major subject
of a candidate for the doctorate, a dissertation embodying the fruits of such research
will be required.