autobiography and selected essays-第15章

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

in　the　same　predicament。　　But　this　is　certain；　that　those　who　hold

the　first　opinion　can　by　no　means　agree　what　theology　should　be

taught；　and　that　those　who　maintain　the　second　are　in　a　small

minority。



At　any　rate　〃make　people　learn　to　read；　write；　and　cipher；〃　say　a

great　many；　and　the　advice　is　undoubtedly　sensible　as　far　as　it

goes。　　But；　as　has　happened　to　me　in　former　days；　those　who；　in

despair　of　getting　anything　better；　advocate　this　measure；　are　met

with　the　objection　that　it　is　very　like　making　a　child　practise　the

use　of　a　knife；　fork；　and　spoon；　without　giving　it　particle　of

meat。　　I　really　don't　know　what　reply　is　to　be　made　to　such　an

objection。



But　it　would　be　unprofitable　to　spend　more　time　in　disentangling；

or　rather　in　showing　up　the　knots　in；　the　ravelled　skeins　of　our

neighbours。　　Much　more　to　the　purpose　is　it　to　ask　if　we　possess

any　clue　of　our　own　which　may　guide　us　among　these　entanglements。

And　by　way　of　a　beginning；　let　us　ask　ourselvesWhat　is　education？

Above　all　things；　what　is　our　ideal　of　a　thoroughly　liberal

education？of　that　education　which；　if　we　could　begin　life　again；

we　would　give　ourselvesof　that　education　which；　if　we　could　mould

the　fates　to　our　own　will；　we　would　give　our　children？　　Well；　I

know　not　what　may　be　your　conceptions　upon　this　matter；　but　I　will

tell　you　mine；　and　I　hope　I　shall　find　that　our　views　are　not　very

discrepant。





Suppose　it　were　perfectly　certain　that　the　life　and　fortune　of

every　one　of　us　would；　one　day　or　other；　depend　upon　his　winning　or

losing　a　game　of　chess。　　Don't　you　think　that　we　should　all

consider　it　to　be　a　primary　duty　to　learn　at　least　the　names　and

the　moves　of　the　pieces；　to　have　a　notion　of　a　gambit；　and　a　keen

eye　for　all　the　means　of　giving　and　getting　out　of　check？　　Do　you

not　think　that　we　should　look　with　a　disapprobation　amounting　to

scorn；　upon　the　father　who　allowed　his　son；　or　the　state　which

allowed　its　members；　to　grow　up　without　knowing　a　pawn　from　a

knight？



Yet　it　is　a　very　plain　and　elementary　truth；　that　the　life；　the

fortune；　and　the　happiness　of　every　one　of　us；　and；　more　or　less；

of　those　who　are　connected　with　us；　do　depend　upon　our　knowing

something　of　the　rules　of　a　game　infinitely　more　difficult　and

complicated　than　chess。　　It　is　a　game　which　has　been　played　for

untold　ages；　every　man　and　woman　of　us　being　one　of　the　two　players

in　a　game　of　his　or　her　own。　　The　chessboard　is　the　world；　the

pieces　are　the　phenomena　of　the　universe；　the　rules　of　the　game　are

what　we　call　the　laws　of　Nature。　　The　player　on　the　other　side　is

hidden　from　us。　　We　know　that　his　play　is　always　fair；　just；　and

patient。　　But　also　we　know；　to　our　cost；　that　he　never　overlooks　a

mistake；　or　makes　the　smallest　allowance　for　ignorance。　　To　the　man

who　plays　well；　the　highest　stakes　are　paid；　with　that　sort　of

overflowing　generosity　with　which　the　strong　shows　delight　in

strength。　　And　one　who　plays　ill　is　checkmatedwithout　haste；　but

without　remorse。



My　metaphor　will　remind　some　of　you　of　the　famous　picture　in　which

Retzsch　＇53＇　has　depicted　Satan　playing　at　chess　with　man　for　his　soul。

Substitute　for　the　mocking　fiend　in　that　picture　a　calm；　strong

angel　who　is　playing　for　love；　as　we　say；　and　would　rather　lose

than　winand　I　should　accept　it　as　an　image　of　human　life。



Well；　what　I　mean　by　Education　is　learning　the　rules　of　this　mighty

game。　　In　other　words；　education　is　the　instruction　of　the

intellect　in　the　laws　of　Nature；　under　which　name　I　include　not

merely　things　and　their　forces；　but　men　and　their　ways；　and　the

fashioning　of　the　affections　and　of　the　will　into　an　earnest　and

loving　desire　to　move　in　harmony　with　those　laws。　　For　me；

education　means　neither　more　nor　less　than　this。　　Anything　which

professes　to　call　itself　education　must　be　tried　by　this　standard；

and　if　it　fails　to　stand　the　test；　I　will　not　call　it　education；

whatever　may　be　the　force　of　authority；　or　of　numbers；　upon　the

other　side。



It　is　important　to　remember　that；　in　strictness；　there　is　no　such

thing　as　an　uneducated　man。　　Take　an　extreme　case。　　Suppose　that　an

adult　man；　in　the　full　vigour　of　his　faculties；　could　be　suddenly

placed　in　the　world；　as　Adam　is　said　to　have　been；　and　then　left　to

do　as　he　best　might。　　How　long　would　he　be　left　uneducated？　　Not

five　minutes。　　Nature　would　begin　to　teach　him；　through　the　eye；

the　ear；　the　touch；　the　properties　of　objects。　　Pain　and　pleasure

would　be　at　his　elbow　telling　him　to　do　this　and　avoid　that；　and　by

slow　degrees　the　man　would　receive　an　education　which；　if　narrow；

would　be　thorough；　real；　and　adequate　to　his　circumstances；　though

there　would　be　no　extras　and　very　few　accomplishments。



And　if　to　this　solitary　man　entered　a　second　Adam　or；　better　still；

an　Eve；　a　new　and　greater　world；　that　of　social　and　moral

phenomena；　would　be　revealed。　　Joys　and　woes；　compared　with　which

all　others　might　seem　but　faint　shadows；　would　spring　from　the　new

relations。　　Happiness　and　sorrow　would　take　the　place　of　the

coarser　monitors；　pleasure　and　pain；　but　conduct　would　still　be

shaped　by　the　observation　of　the　natural　consequences　of　actions；

or；　in　other　words；　by　the　laws　of　the　nature　of　man。



To　every　one　of　us　the　world　was　once　as　fresh　and　new　as　to　Adam。

And　then；　long　before　we　were　susceptible　of　any　other　modes　of

instruction；　Nature　took　us　in　hand；　and　every　minute　of　waking

life　brought　its　educational　influence；　shaping　our　actions　into

rough　accordance　with　Nature's　laws；　so　that　we　might　not　be　ended

untimely　by　too　gross　disobedience。　　Nor　should　I　speak　of　this

process　of　education　as　past　for　any　one；　be　he　as　old　as　he　may。

For　every　man　the　world　is　as　fresh　as　it　was　at　the　first　day；　and

as　full　of　untold　novelties　for　him　who　has　the　eyes　to　see　them。

And　Nature　is　still　continuing　her　patient　education　of　us　in　that

great　university；　the　universe；　of　which　we　are　all　membersNature

having　no　Test…Acts。＇54＇



Those　who　take　honours　in　Nature's　university；　who　learn　the　laws

which　govern　men　and　things　and　obey　them；　are　the　really　great　and

successful　men　in　this　world。　　The　great　mass　of　mankind　are　the

〃Poll；〃＇55＇　who　pick　up　just　enough　to　get　through　without　much

discredit。　　Those　who　won't　learn　at　all　are　plucked；＇56＇　and　then

you　can't　come　up　again。　　Nature's　pluck　means　extermination。



Thus　the　question　of　compulsory　education　is　settled　so　far　as

Nature　is　concerned。　　Her　bill　on　that　question　was　framed　and

passed　long　ago。　　But；　like　all　compulsory　legislation；　that　of

Nature　is　harsh　and　wasteful　in　its　operation。　　Ignorance　is

visited　as　sharply　as　wilful　disobedienceincapacity　meets　with

the　same　punishment　as　crime。　　Nature's　discipline　is　not　even　a

word　and　a　blow；　and　the　blow　first；　but　the　blow　without　the　word。

It　is　left　to　you　to　find　out　why　your　ears　are　boxed。



The　object　of　what　we　commonly　call　educationthat　education　in

which　man　intervenes　and　which　I　shall　distinguish　as　artificial

educationis　to　make　good　these　defects　in　Nature's　methods；　to

prepare　the　child　to　receive　Nature's　education；　neither　incapably

nor　ignorantly；　nor　with　wilful　disobedience；　and　to　understand　the

preliminary　symptoms　of　her　pleasure；　without　waiting　for　the　box

on　the　ear。　　In　short；　all　artificial　education　ought　to　be　an

anticipation　of　natural　education。　　And　a　liberal　education　is　an

artificial　education　which　has　not　only　prepared　a　man　to　escape

the　great　evils　of　disobedience　to　natural　laws；　but　has　trained

him　to　appreciate　and　to　seize　upon　the　rewards；　which　Nature

scatters　with　as　free　a　hand　as　her　penalties。



That　man；　I　think；　has　had　a　liberal　education　who　has　been　so

trained　in　youth　that　his　body　is　the　ready　servant　of　his　will；

and　does　with　ease　and　pleasure　all　the　work　that；　as　a　mechanism；

it　is　capa