Note 304 — Chapter III · THE UNIVERSITY AS A DEGREE-GIVING BODY

The Previous Examination or “Little-Go,” as it is popularly called, consists of two parts, the first containing 5 papers on (a) one of the four Gospels in Greek (set book) (b) a Latin classic (set book) (c) a Greek classic (set book) (d) simple unprepared passages in Latin (e) simple Latin and Greek syntax. Since 1884 a Greek or Latin classic may be substituted for the Greek Gospel. Part II., since June 1903, consists of 5 papers on (1) Paley’s Evidences, for which since 1884, elementary logic may be substituted (2) geometry (3) arithmetic (4) elementary algebra (5) subjects for an English essay from some standard English work or works. Until 1903 the geometry paper was exclusively on Euclid’s lines, and required knowledge of the first three books and of parts of the vth and vith books. To qualify for admission to an ‘Honours’ examination a student must pass in certain subjects ‘additional’ to the ordinary Previous Examination. He is now allowed to choose between (1) additional Mathematics (Mechanics and Trigonometry) (2) French (3) German.

A student must satisfy the examiners both as to grammar and orthography in answering the questions—a last relic of the grammar studies of the university!

The General Examination, taken by those who read for the ordinary degree, includes (in Pt. I.) (1) a Greek classic (2) Latin classic (3) mechanics (4) simple trigonometry [(5) English passages for translation into Latin prose]. (Pt. II.) (1) The Acts of the Apostles in Greek (2) English history, selected period (3) subjects for an English essay, from the selected period (4) elementary hydrostatics and heat [(5) a paper on a Shakespeare play or on Milton’s works]. The 5th paper in each part is not obligatory.

The Cambridge General Examination for the ordinary degree leaves much to be desired.

The Special Examination for the ordinary degree may be in one of the following subjects: (a) Theology (b) Political Economy (c) Law (d) History (e) Chemistry (f) Physics (g) Modern Languages (h) Mathematics (i) Classics (k) Logic (l) Geology (m) Botany (n) Zoology (o) Physiology (p) Mechanism and Applied Science (q) Agricultural Science (r) Music. The standard for the subjects k, l, m, n, o, is that of the papers on those subjects in the first part of the moral and natural sciences triposes. The standard in the Theological Special examination may be judged from the following: Pt. I. (1) Outlines of O. T. history (2) a gospel in Greek [(3) history of the Jews from the close of O. T. history to the fall of Jerusalem]. Pt. II. (1) Selected portions of historical and prophetical books (2) one or more of the epistles in Greek (3) outlines of English Church history to 1830 [(4) selected portion of historical books of O. T. in Hebrew. (5) outlines of Early Church history to the death of Leo the Great. (6) paper on a selected period of English Church history]. (7) Essay subjects on the subject matter of papers (1) (2) and (3). But paper (3) in Pt. I. and 4, 5, and 6 in Pt. II. are not obligatory. Law Special examination:—Pt. I. (a) some branch of English constitutional law (b) English criminal law [(c) select cases in illustration (voluntary)]. Pt. II. (1) elementary English law relating to real property (2) English law of contract or tort, or similar. [(3) select cases in illustration (voluntary)]. (4) Essay on the subject matter of (1) and (2).

The first part of the Historical Special examination consists of 3 papers on English history before 1485, the third on a special period being optional. Pt. II. contains 5 papers (1) outline of general English history from 1485-1832. (2) outlines of English constitutional history for the same period (3) a period or a subject in foreign history (4) a special period of English history. [(5) an essay, optional]. The Mathematical Special is all elementary. The Classical Special is on the lines of the Previous Examination—set papers on portions of two Greek and Latin prose and two Greek and Latin poetic authors; to which is added an unprepared Greek and an unprepared Latin translation and a Latin prose composition. The papers on Greek and Roman history belonging to Pt. I. (Greek) or Pt. II. (Latin) are optional. Candidates for all these examinations may present themselves again in case of failure.

The standard of the tripos examination may be gauged by the following examination schedules for (A) Classics (B) Moral Sciences. (A) Pt. I. 15 papers—4 composition papers; 5 translation; (10) History of words and forms, and syntax, in both classical languages. (11) Short Greek and Latin passages relating to history and antiquities of Greece and Rome for translation and comment. (12) A paper on history and antiquities. (13) Same as 11, with reference to Greek and Roman philosophy, literature, sculpture and architecture. (14) Same as 12 (the questions on Greek philosophy being on portion of a set book). (15) Essay.

Pt. II. Examination in 1 or 2 of the 5 following sections: (1) Literature and criticism (2) ancient philosophy. (3) history. (4) archaeology. (5) language. The following are examples of Sections (1) and (5): I. (a) Questions on the history of Greek literature and passages illustrating Greek literary history or criticism for translation and comment. (b) The same, Latin. (c) Passages from Greek and Latin authors for interpretation, grammatical comment, or emendation; on the paleography and history of Greek and Latin MSS., and the principles of textual criticism; questions on textual criticism of a Greek or Latin author (set book). (d) A special author (set book) or a special department of Greek or Latin literature. (e) paper of essays. V. (a) Greek etymology and history of Greek dialects. Greek syntax. (b) Latin, collated with cognate Italic dialects, and syntax. (c) Easy passages from Sanskrit authors (set books) for translation and comment, and simple Sanskrit grammar. (d) and last, general questions on the comparative grammar and syntax of the Indo-European languages. Early Indo-European civilisation. Indo-European accent. Greek and Italic alphabets. The Italic dialects. The whole of these two examinations, with the exception of one portion of paper 14 in Pt. I. and one portion of papers c and d in Pt. II. Section I., deal with unseen Greek and Latin authors.

(B) Moral Sciences:—Pt. I. Psychology (2 papers). Standpoint, data, and methods of psychology. Its fundamental conceptions and hypotheses. Relations of psychology to physics, physiology, and metaphysics. (a) analysis of consciousness. (b) sensation and physiology of the senses—perception. (c) Images and ideas. (d) Thought and formation of concepts. Judgment. (e) Emotions, and theories of emotional expression. (f) Volition—pleasure and pain—conflict of emotions. [In the 2nd part, advanced knowledge on these subjects is required, plus a knowledge of the physiology of the senses and nervous system, etc., and of mental pathology in its relation to psychology.]

Logic (2 papers). Province of logic, formal and material. Relation of logic to psychology, and to the theory of knowledge. (a) names and concepts, definition and division, predicables. (b) classification of judgments and propositions. Theory of the import of propositions. (c) laws of thought, syllogisms, symbolic logic. (d) induction and deduction. (e) observation and experiment, hypotheses, classification, theory of probabilities. (f) inference and proof. Fallacies. [In the 2nd part, advanced knowledge of these subjects and of the controversies connected with them is required.]

Ethics (1 paper), (a) moral judgment, intuition, and reasoning, motives, pleasure and pain, free will and determinism, (b) ends of moral action—right and wrong—moral sanctions—obligation—duty—pleasures and pains. (c) types of moral character. Principles of social and political justice. (d) The moral faculty, its origin and development. (e) relation of ethics to psychology, sociology, and politics.

Two papers on political economy and an essay paper exhaust Pt. I.

For those who proceed to Pt. II., two papers on metaphysical and moral philosophy (as below) must be answered, one on the general history of modern philosophy, and one or two of the 3 following papers (A) Psychology II.; (B) Logic II.; (Special) history of modern philosophy (subject announced each year); or (C) papers in politics and in advanced political economy:

Metaphysical and moral philosophy:—(a) analysis of knowledge, material and formal elements of knowledge, self-consciousness, uniformity and continuity of experience. (b) identity and difference, relation, space and time, unity and number, substance, cause. (c) certainty, and necessities of thought. (d) fundamental assumptions of physical science—causality, continuity etc. (e) sources and limits of knowledge, relativity of knowledge, phenomena, and things in themselves. (f) fundamental assumptions of ethics, absolute and relative ethics, intuitionism, utilitarianism, evolutionism, transcendentalism. (g) mechanical and dynamical theories of matter, relations of mind and matter, problem of the external world, idealism, dualism, freedom of intelligence, and of will, good and evil in the universe, teleology.