a new view of society-第13章

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；　they　defy　ingenuity　itself　to　confute　them；　nay；　the　most　severe　scrutiny　will　make　it　evident　that　they　are　utterly　unassailable。　　　　　Is　it　then　wisdom　to　think　and　to　act　in　opposition　to　the　facts　which　hourly　exhibit　themselves　around　us；　and　in　direct　contradiction　to　the　evidence　of　our　senses？　Inquire　of　the　most　learned　and　wise　of　the　present　day；　ask　them　to　speak　with　sincerity；　and　they　will　tell　you　that　they　have　long　known　the　principles　on　which　society　has　been　found　to　be　false。　Hitherto；　however；　the　tide　of　public　opinion；　in　all　countries；　has　been　directed　by　a　combination　of　prejudice；　bigotry；　and　fanaticism；　derived　from　the　wildest　imaginations　of　ignorance；　and　the　most　enlightened　men　have　not　dared　to　expose　those　errors　which　to　them　were　offensive；　prominent；　and　glaring。　　　　　Happily　for　man　this　reign　of　ignorance　rapidly　approaches　to　dissolution；　its　terrors　are　already　on　the　wing；　and　soon　they　will　be　compelled　to　take　their　flight；　never　more　to　return。　For　now　the　knowledge　of　the　existing　errors　is　not　only　possessed　by　the　learned　and　reflecting；　but　it　is　spreading　far　and　wide　throughout　society；　and　ere　long　it　will　be　fully　comprehended　even　by　the　most　ignorant。　　　　　Attempts　may　indeed　be　made　by　individuals；　who　through　ignorance　mistake　their　real　interests；　to　retard　the　progress　of　this　knowledge；　but　as　it　will　prove　itself　to　be　in　unison　with　the　evidence　of　our　senses；　and　therefore　true　beyond　the　possibility　of　disproof；　it　cannot　be　impeded；　and　in　its　course　will　overwhelm　all　opposition。　　　　　These　principles；　however；　are　not　more　true　in　theory　than　beneficial　in　practice；　whenever　they　are　properly　applied。　Why；　then；　should　all　their　substantial　advantages　be　longer　withheld　from　the　mass　of　mankind？　Can　it；　by　possibility；　be　a　crime　to　pursue　the　only　practical　means　which　a　rational　being　can　adopt　to　diminish　the　misery　of　man；　and　increase　his　happiness？　　　　　These　questions；　of　the　deepest　interest　to　society；　are　now　brought　to　the　fair　test　of　public　experiment。　It　remains　to　be　proved；　whether　the　character　of　man　shall　continue　to　be　formed　under　the　guidance　of　the　most　inconsistent　notions；　the　errors　of　which　for　centuries　past　have　been　manifest　to　every　reflecting　rational　mind；　or　whether　it　shall　be　moulded　under　the　direction　of　uniformly　consistent　principles；　derived　from　the　unvarying　facts　of　the　creation；　principles；　the　truth　of　which　no　sane　man　will　now　attempt　to　deny。　　　　　It　is　then　by　the　full　and　complete　disclosure　of　these　principles；　that　the　destruction　of　ignorance　and　misery　is　to　be　effected；　and　the　reign　of　reason；　intelligence；　and　happiness；　is　to　be　firmly　established。　　　　　It　was　necessary　to　give　this　development　of　the　principles　advocated；　that　the　remaining　parts　of　the　New　Institution；　yet　to　be　described；　may　be　clearly　understood。　We　now　proceed　to　explain　the　several　purposes　intended　to　be　accomplished　by　the　School；　Lecture　Room；　and　Church。　　　　　It　must　be　evident　to　those　who　have　any　powers　of　reason　yet　undestroyed；　that　man　is　now　taught　and　trained　in　a　theory　and　practice　directly　opposed　to　each　other。　Hence　the　perpetual　inconsistencies；　follies；　and　absurdities；　which　everyone　can　readily　discover　in　his　neighbour；　without　being　conscious　that　he　also　possesses　similar　incongruities。　The　instruction　to　be　given　in　the　School；　Lecture　Room；　and　Church；　is　intended　to　counteract　and　remedy　this　evil；　and　to　prove　the　incalculable　advantages　which　society　would　derive　from　the　introduction　of　a　theory　and　practice　consistent　with　each　other。　The　uppermost　storey　of　the　New　Institution　is　arranged　to　serve　for　a　School；　Lecture　Room；　and　Church。　And　these　are　intended　to　have　a　direct　influence　in　forming　the　character　of　the　villagers。　　　　　It　is　comparatively；　of　little　avail　to　give　to　either　young　or　old　'precept　upon　precept；　and　line　upon　line'；　except　the　means　shall　be　also　prepared　to　train　them　in　good　practical　habits。　Hence　an　education　for　the　untaught　and　ill…taught　becomes　of　the　first　importance　to　the　welfare　of　society。　and　it　is　this　which　has　influenced　all　the　arrangements　connected　with　the　New　Institution。　　　　　The　time　the　children　will　remain　under　the　discipline　of　the　playground　and　school；　will　afford　all　the　opportunity　that　can　be　desired　to　create；　cultivate；　and　establish；　those　habits　and　sentiments　which　tend　to　the　welfare　of　the　individual　and　of　the　community。　And　in　conformity　to　this　plan　of　proceeding；　the　precept　which　was　given　to　the　child　of　two　years　old；　on　coming　into　the　playground；　'that　he　must　endeavour　to　make　his　companions　happy'；　is　to　be　renewed　and　enforced　on　his　entrance　into　the　school：　and　the　first　duty　of　the　schoolmaster　will　be　to　train　his　pupils　to　acquire　the　practice　of　always　acting　on　this　principle。　It　is　a　simple　rule；　the　plain　and　obvious　reasons　for　which　children　at　an　early　age　may　be　readily　taught　to　comprehend；　and　as　they　advance　in　years；　become　familiarized　with　its　practice；　and　experience　the　beneficial　effects　to　themselves；　they　will　better　feel　and　understand　all　its　important　consequences　to　society。　　　　　Such　then　being　the　foundation　on　which　the　practical　habits　of　the　children　are　to　be　formed；　we　proceed　to　explain　the　superstructure。　　　　　In　addition　to　the　knowledge　of　the　principle　and　practice　of　the　above…mentioned　precept；　the　boys　and　girls　are　to　be　taught　in　the　school　to　read　well；　and　to　understand　what　they　read；　to　write　expeditiously　a　good　legible　hand；　and　to　learn　correctly；　so　that　they　may　comprehend　and　use　with　facility　the　fundamental　rules　of　arithmetic。　The　girls　are　also　to　be　taught　to　sew；　cut　out；　and　make　up　useful　family　garments；　and；　after　acquiring　a　sufficient　knowledge　of　these；　they　are　to　attend　in　rotation　in　the　public　kitchen　and　eating　rooms；　to　learn　to　prepare　wholesome　food　in　an　economical　manner；　and　to　keep　a　house　neat　and　well　arranged。　　　　　It　was　said　that　the　children　are　to　be　taught　to　read　well；　and　to　understand　what　they　read。　　　　　In　many　schools；　the　children　of　the　poor　and　labouring　classes　are　never　taught　to　understand　what　they　read；　the　time　therefore　which　is　occupied　in　the　mockery　of　the　instruction　is　lost。　In　other　schools；　the　children；　through　the　ignorance　of　their　instructors；　are　taught　to　believe　without　reasoning；　and　thus　never　to　think　or　to　reason　correctly。　These　truly　lamentable　practices　cannot　fail　to　indispose；　the　young　mind　for　plain；　simple；　and　rational　instruction。　　　　　The　books　by　which　it　is　now　the　common　custom　to　teach　children　to　read；　inform　them　of　anything　except　that　which；　at　their　age；　they　ought　to　be　taught；　hence　the　inconsistencies　and　follies　of　adults。　It　is　full　time　that　this　system　should　be　changed。　Can　man；　when　possessing　the　full　vigour　of　his　faculties；　form　a　rational　judgement　on　any　subject；　until　he　has　first　collected　all　the　facts　respecting　it　which　are　known？　Has　not　this　been；　and　will　not　this　ever　remain；　the　only　path　by　which　human　knowledge　can　be　obtained？　Then　children　ought　to　be　instructed　on　the　same　principles。　They　should　first　be　taught　the　knowledge　of　facts；　commencing　with　those　which　are　most　familiar　to　the　young　mind；　and　gradually　proceeding　to　the　most　useful　and　necessary　to　be　known　by　the　respective　individuals　in　the　rank　of　life　in　which　they　are　likely　to　be　placed；　and　in　all　cases　the　children　should　have　as　clear　an　explanation　of　each　fact　as　their　minds　can　comprehend；　rendering　those　explanations　more　detailed　as　the　child　acquires　strength　and　capacity　of　intellect。　　　　　As　soon　as　the　young　mind　shall　be　duly　prepared　for　such　instruction；　the　master　should　not　allow　any　opportunity　to　escape；　that　would　enable　him　to　enforce　the　clear　and　inseparable　connection　which　exists　between　the　interest　and　happiness　of　each　individual　and　the　interest　and　happiness　of　every　other　individual。　This　should　be　the　beginning　and　end　of　all　instruction；　and　by　degrees　it　will　be　so　well　understood　by　his　pupils；　that　they　will　receive　the　same　conviction　of　its　truth；　that　those　familiar　with　mathematics　now　entertain　of　the　demonstrations　of　Euclid。　And　when　thus　comprehended；　the　all