autobiography and selected essays-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



absolute　rejection　of　authority；　the　cherishing　of　the　keenest

scepticism；　the　annihilation　of　the　spirit　of　blind　faith；　and　the

most　ardent　votary　of　science　holds　his　firmest　convictions；　not

because　the　men　he　most　venerates　hold　them；　not　because　their

verity　is　testified　by　portents　and　wonders；　but　because　his

experience　teaches　him　that　whenever　he　chooses　to　bring　these

convictions　into　contact　with　their　primary　source；　Nature

whenever　he　thinks　fit　to　test　them　by　appealing　to　experiment　and

to　observationNature　will　confirm　them。　　The　man　of　science　has

learned　to　believe　in　justification；　not　by　faith；　but　by

verification。



Thus；　without　for　a　moment　pretending　to　despise　the　practical

results　of　the　improvement　of　natural　knowledge；　and　its　beneficial

influence　on　material　civilisation；　it　must；　I　think；　be　admitted

that　the　great　ideas；　some　of　which　I　have　indicated；　and　the

ethical　spirit　which　I　have　endeavoured　to　sketch；　in　the　few

moments　which　remained　at　my　disposal；　constitute　the　real　and

permanent　significance　of　natural　knowledge。



If　these　ideas　be　destined；　as　I　believe　they　are；　to　be　more　and

more　firmly　established　as　the　world　grows　older；　if　that　spirit　be

fated；　as　I　believe　it　is；　to　extend　itself　into　all　departments　of

human　thought；　and　to　become　co…extensive　with　the　range　of

knowledge；　if；　as　our　race　approaches　its　maturity；　it　discovers；

as　I　believe　it　will；　that　there　is　but　one　kind　of　knowledge　and

but　one　method　of　acquiring　it；　then　we；　who　are　still　children；

may　justly　feel　it　our　highest　duty　to　recognise　the　advisableness

of　improving　natural　knowledge；　and　so　to　aid　ourselves　and　our

successors　in　our　course　towards　the　noble　goal　which　lies　before

mankind。







A　LIBERAL　EDUCATION　　　　　＇49＇





The　business　which　the　South　London　Working　Men's　College　has

undertaken　is　a　great　work；　indeed；　I　might　say；　that　Education；

with　which　that　college　proposes　to　grapple；　is　the　greatest　work

of　all　those　which　lie　ready　to　a　man's　hand　just　at　present。



And；　at　length；　this　fact　is　becoming　generally　recognised。　　You

cannot　go　anywhere　without　hearing　a　buzz　of　more　or　less　confused

and　contradictory　talk　on　this　subjectnor　can　you　fail　to　notice

that；　in　one　point　at　any　rate；　there　is　a　very　decided　advance

upon　like　discussions　in　former　days。　　Nobody　outside　the

agricultural　interest　now　dares　to　say　that　education　is　a　bad

thing。　　If　any　representative　of　the　once　large　and　powerful　party；

which；　in　former　days；　proclaimed　this　opinion；　still　exists　in　the

semi…fossil　state；　he　keeps　his　thoughts　to　himself。　　In　fact；

there　is　a　chorus　of　voices；　almost　distressing　in　their　harmony；

raised　in　favour　of　the　doctrine　that　education　is　the　great

panacea　for　human　troubles；　and　that；　if　the　country　is　not　shortly

to　go　to　the　dogs；　everybody　must　be　educated。



The　politicians　tell　us；　〃You　must　educate　the　masses　because　they

are　going　to　be　masters。〃　　The　clergy　join　in　the　cry　for

education；　for　they　affirm　that　the　people　are　drifting　away　from

church　and　chapel　into　the　broadest　infidelity。　　The　manufacturers

and　the　capitalists　swell　the　chorus　lustily。　　They　declare　that

ignorance　makes　bad　workmen；　that　England　will　soon　be　unable　to

turn　out　cotton　goods；　or　steam　engines；　cheaper　than　other　people；

and　then；　Ichabod！　Ichabod！＇50＇　the　glory　will　be　departed　from　us。

And　a　few　voices　are　lifted　up　in　favour　of　the　doctrine　that　the

masses　should　be　educated　because　they　are　men　and　women　with

unlimited　capacities　of　being；　doing；　and　suffering；　and　that　it　is

as　true　now；　as　it　ever　was；　that　the　people　perish　for　lack　of

knowledge。



These　members　of　the　minority；　with　whom　I　confess　I　have　a　good

deal　of　sympathy；　are　doubtful　whether　any　of　the　other　reasons

urged　in　favour　of　the　education　of　the　people　are　of　much　value

whether；　indeed；　some　of　them　are　based　upon　either　wise　or　noble

grounds　of　action。　　They　question　if　it　be　wise　to　tell　people　that

you　will　do　for　them；　out　of　fear　of　their　power；　what　you　have

left　undone；　so　long　as　your　only　motive　was　compassion　for　their

weakness　and　their　sorrows。　　And；　if　ignorance　of　everything　which

is　needful　a　ruler　should　know　is　likely　to　do　so　much　harm　in　the

governing　classes　of　the　future；　why　is　it；　they　ask　reasonably

enough；　that　such　ignorance　in　the　governing　classes　of　the　past

has　not　been　viewed　with　equal　horror？



Compare　the　average　artisan　and　the　average　country　squire；　and　it

may　be　doubted　if　you　will　find　a　pin　to　choose　between　the　two　in

point　of　ignorance；　class　feeling；　or　prejudice。　　It　is　true　that

the　ignorance　is　of　a　different　sortthat　the　class　feeling　is　in

favour　of　a　different　class　and　that　the　prejudice　has　a　distinct

savour　of　wrong…headedness　in　each　casebut　it　is　questionable　if

the　one　is　either　a　bit　better；　or　a　bit　worse；　than　the　other。

The　old　protectionist　theory　is　the　doctrine　of　trades　unions　as

applied　by　the　squires；　and　the　modern　trades　unionism　is　the

doctrine　of　the　squires　applied　by　the　artisans。　　Why　should　we　be

worse　off　under　one　regime　than　under　the　other？



Again；　this　sceptical　minority　asks　the　clergy　to　think　whether　it

is　really　want　of　education　which　keeps　the　masses　away　from　their

ministrationswhether　the　most　completely　educated　men　are　not　as

open　to　reproach　on　this　score　as　the　workmen；　and　whether；

perchance；　this　may　not　indicate　that　it　is　not　education　which

lies　at　the　bottom　of　the　matter？



Once　more；　these　people；　whom　there　is　no　pleasing；　venture　to

doubt　whether　the　glory　which　rests　upon　being　able　to　undersell

all　the　rest　of　the　world；　is　a　very　safe　kind　of　glorywhether　we

may　not　purchase　it　too　dear；　especially　if　we　allow　education；

which　ought　to　be　directed　to　the　making　of　men；　to　be　diverted

into　a　process　of　manufacturing　human　tools；　wonderfully　adroit　in

the　exercise　of　some　technical　industry；　but　good　for　nothing　else。



And；　finally；　these　people　inquire　whether　it　is　the　masses　alone

who　need　a　reformed　and　improved　education。　　They　ask　whether　the

richest　of　our　public　schools　might　not　well　be　made　to　supply

knowledge；　as　well　as　gentlemanly　habits；　a　strong　class　feeling；

and　eminent　proficiency　in　cricket。　　They　seem　to　think　that　the

noble　foundations　of　our　old　universities　are　hardly　fulfilling

their　functions　in　their　present　posture　of　half…clerical

seminaries；　half　racecourses；　where　men　are　trained　to　win　a　senior

wranglership；＇51＇　or　a　double…first；＇52＇　as　horses　are　trained

to　win　a　cup；　with　as　little　reference　to　the　needs　of　after…life

in　the　case　of　a　man　as　in　that　of　the　racer。　　And；　while　as　zealous

for　education　as　the　rest；　they　affirm　that；　if　the　education　of　the

richer　classes　were　such　as　to　fit　them　to　be　the　leaders　and　the

governors　of　the　poorer；　and；　if　the　education　of　the　poorer

classes　were　such　as　to　enable　them　to　appreciate　really　wise

guidance　and　good　governance；　the　politicians　need　not　fear　mob…

law；　nor　the　clergy　lament　their　want　of　flocks；　nor　the

capitalists　prognosticate　the　annihilation　of　the　prosperity　of　the

country。



Such　is　the　diversity　of　opinion　upon　the　why　and　the　wherefore　of

education。　　And　my　hearers　will　be　prepared　to　expect　that　the

practical　recommendations　which　are　put　forward　are　not　less

discordant。　　There　is　a　loud　cry　for　compulsory　education。　　We

English；　in　spite　of　constant　experience　to　the　contrary；　preserve

a　touching　faith　in　the　efficacy　of　acts　of　Parliament；　and　I

believe　we　should　have　compulsory　education　in　the　courses　of　next

session；　if　there　were　the　least　probability　that　half　a　dozen

leading　statesmen　of　different　parties　would　agree　what　that

education　should　be。



Some　hold　that　education　without　theology　is　worse　than　none。

Others　maintain；　quite　as　strongly；　that　education　with　theology　is

in　the　same　predicament。　　But　th