Page 847 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

‘The natural sciences have just as great an educational
value,’ put in Pestsov. ‘Take astronomy, take botany, or
zoology with its system of general principles.’
‘I cannot quite agree with that,’ responded Alexey

Alexandrovitch ‘It seems to me that one must admit that
the very process of studying the forms of language has a
peculiarly favorable influence on intellectual development.
Moreover, it cannot be denied that the influence of the
classical authors is in the highest degree moral, while,
unfortunately, with the study of the natural sciences are
associated the false and noxious doctrines which are the
curse of our day.’
Sergey Ivanovitch would have said something, but
Pestsov interrupted him in his rich bass. He began warmly
contesting the justice of this view. Sergey Ivanovitch
waited serenely to speak, obviously with a convincing
reply ready.
‘But,’ said Sergey Ivanovitch, smiling subtly, and
addressing Karenin, ‘One must allow that to weigh all the
advantages and disadvantages of classical and scientific
studies is a difficult task, and the question which form of
education was to be preferred would not have been so
quickly and conclusively decided if there had not been in

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