The reasons for translating and annotating Herbar't "Outlines" are, first, to present to the English-speaking public Herbart's latest, and also his most complete, work on education; and, second, to note to some extent at least the advances made in educational thought since Herbart laid down his pen.<br><br>Herbart's educational writings are distinguished by two marked characteristics: their helpfulness in actual teaching; and their systematic completeness. The thoughtful reader can see the bearing of each part upon all the others; the purposes of education are so completely correlated with the means, that, whether the topic under discussion be apperception or interest or methods of teaching or school government or moral training or the presentation of a particular study, the reader is never at a loss to see the relation of this part to the whole.<br><br>The eminent practicability of Herbart's thought depends upon his psychological point of view, which is always that of concrete experience.