Anthropology

With about 40 concentrators, Anthropology is one of the smaller fields. It is complete and well-integrated and the concentrators are pleased with it. Because of this very concreteness it should be concentrated in only by students who are especially interested or plan to go into some related type of work later. But though it tends to be narrowing in its scope, the department includes some of the best known men of the country within that scope.

Because of the fact that the faculty is still rather small and a good coverage of the field requires many courses (there are 19 courses regularly open to Undergraduates and 11 additional graduate courses), only somewhat more than half of them are given in any one year, and the advanced courses are rotated in alternate years. Therefore it will leave a concentrator much freer in his later years if he can get Anthropology A or 1 out of the way Freshman year. (Freshmen need permission of the instructor to take them.) Otherwise he will have to do some very intricate planning to get in all the courses he wants. Though both of these courses are not required, they are worth taking.

For non-concentrators the field has nothing satisfactory to offer except course A, on the biological evolution of man from the apes. While at least the first half of Biology D is recommended for this course, it is not necessary. The lectures, by Hooton and Kluckhohn, are clear and interesting, and are illustrated with slides.

While the comparative culture of races is the subject which appeals most to men in other fields notably History, Government, and Sociology, the survey courses 1a and 1b, on the Racial Origins of the Old and New Worlds respectively, are not suited for such men. They are not complete, as given last year unless the student goes on with more advanced courses. Both Coon and Tozzer, while interesting and well-organized lecturers and an expert ethnographer and archeologist respectively, tend to talk from the point of view of their advanced courses and seem to assume the student is going on with them. The lack of a syllabus in 1a leads to confusion about what the course is supposed to cover.

As the two half year courses on Primitive Institutions and Religions, 12 and 16, are now organized, they largely duplicate Anthropology 1b, and what they add is not of much value.

Anthropology 2, an advanced course in Physical Anthropology under Professor Hooton, is especially recommended for pre-medical work. Either course A or Biology 2 are prerequisite.

The advanced courses are all good bets, but one's special field will limit the ones he can take. They are small and there is plenty of opportunity for discussion. The lecturers are all well versed in their particular fields.

At the end of Senior year there are three examinations every concentrator must pass: one on the general field of Anthropology, one on his special field, and an oral examination. The special field, as was stated, must be chosen early. The three are Physical Anthropology, for which Biology D and 2 are required; Ethnology and Social Anthropology, including outside courses in Sociology; and Ethnography and Archaeology, with which Geology 1 is allied. Graduate courses in special fields may be taken with permission and are worth looking into. 9, a course by Tozzer on the Archaeology of Central America, is an excellent course because Tozzer is one of the greatest experts on that special field.

The tutorial is designed "to guide students in their respective fields, to assist them in coordinating the knowledge derived from other courses, and to stimulate them in the reading habit." Since a review of the elementary courses is all that is necessary to pass the general exam, the tutors do not go out of their way to corral their tutees, but if approached they are ready, willing, and competent to suggest and advise.

Philosophy

Philosophy, a relatively small but recently growing field, is, like Sociology, Psychology, and the Fine Arts, one which offers a background for a variety of occupations. Many concentrators enter Law School, which encourages concentration in other fields besides Government. It is also recommended for teaching and for theology. But it is different from Sociology and the Fine Arts in that the student cannot benefit from it without a real understanding, which can only be acquired through much concentration. It is a rigorous field and requires more than average time.

Those who want to limit themselves to more definite aspects of Philosophy may combine it with Classics, Fine Arts, English, Sociology, History, Government, Economics, or other fields.

Candidates for a degree in Philosophy must pass three three-hour examinations: one on Systematic Philosophy, for which the concentrator chooses as his special field either Metaphysics, Ethics, or Logic, and relates it to at least one of the other two; and two on the history of Philosophy, one ancient and one modern.

Tutorial is especially valuable in this field, because there is a good deal of correlating to be done, because there is often material which needs clearing up, and because the tutors are sufficient in number and excellent in knowledge and ability. Concentrators who have the benefit of tutorial instruction find the sections in the elementary courses pretty useless, but a few such meetings are necessary for Freshmen and non-concentrators.