第6章

类别:其他 作者:G.K.Chesterton字数:19332更新时间:19/01/05 10:00:49
IV THETRUTHABOUTEDUCATION Whenamanisaskedtowritedownwhathereallythinksoneducation,acertaingravitygripsandstiffenshissoul,whichmightbemistakenbythesuperficialfordisgust。Ifitbereallytruethatmensickenedofsacredwordsandweariedoftheology,ifthislargelyunreasoningirritationagainst\"dogma\"didariseoutofsomeridiculousexcessofsuchthingsamongpriestsinthepast,thenIfancywemustbelayingupafinecropofcantforourdescendantstogrowtiredof。 Probablytheword\"education\"willsomedayseemhonestlyasoldandobjectlessastheword\"justification\"nowseemsinaPuritanfolio。 Gibbonthoughtitfrightfullyfunnythatpeopleshouldhavefoughtaboutthedifferencebetweenthe\"Homoousion\"andthe\"Homoiousion。\"ThetimewillcomewhensomebodywilllaughloudertothinkthatmenthunderedagainstSectarianEducationandalsoagainstSecularEducation; thatmenofprominenceandpositionactuallydenouncedtheschoolsforteachingacreedandalsofornotteachingafaith。ThetwoGreekwordsinGibbonlookratheralike;buttheyreallymeanquitedifferentthings。 Faithandcreeddonotlookalike,buttheymeanexactlythesamething。 CreedhappenstobetheLatinforfaith。 Nowhavingreadnumberlessnewspaperarticlesoneducation,andevenwrittenagoodmanyofthem,andhavinghearddeafeningandindeterminatediscussiongoingonallaroundmealmosteversinceIwasborn,aboutwhetherreligionwaspartofeducation,aboutwhetherhygienewasanessentialofeducation,aboutwhethermilitarismwasinconsistentwithtrueeducation,Inaturallyponderedmuchonthisrecurringsubstantive,andIamashamedtosaythatitwascomparativelylateinlifethatIsawthemainfactaboutit。 Ofcourse,themainfactabouteducationisthatthereisnosuchthing。Itdoesnotexist,astheologyorsoldieringexist。 Theologyisawordlikegeology,soldieringisawordlikesoldering;thesesciencesmaybehealthyornoashobbies; buttheydealwithstoneandkettles,withdefinitethings。 Buteducationisnotawordlikegeologyorkettles。 Educationisawordlike\"transmission\"or\"inheritance\";itisnotanobject,butamethod。Itmustmeantheconveyingofcertainfacts,viewsorqualities,tothelastbabyborn。 Theymightbethemosttrivialfactsorthemostpreposterousviewsorthemostoffensivequalities;butiftheyarehandedonfromonegenerationtoanothertheyareeducation。 Educationisnotathingliketheology,itisnotaninferiororsuperiorthing;itisnotathinginthesamecategoryofterms。 Theologyandeducationaretoeachotherlikealove-lettertotheGeneralPostOffice。Mr。FaginwasquiteaseducationalasDr。Strong;inpracticeprobablymoreeducational。 Itisgivingsomething——perhapspoison。Educationistradition,andtradition(asitsnameimplies)canbetreason。 Thisfirsttruthisfranklybanal;butitissoperpetuallyignoredinourpoliticalprosingthatitmustbemadeplain。 Alittleboyinalittlehouse,sonofalittletradesman,istaughttoeathisbreakfast,totakehismedicine,tolovehiscountry,tosayhisprayers,andtowearhisSundayclothes。 ObviouslyFagin,ifhefoundsuchaboy,wouldteachhimtodrinkgin,tolie,tobetrayhiscountry,toblasphemeandtowearfalsewhiskers。 ButsoalsoMr。Saltthevegetarianwouldabolishtheboy\'sbreakfast; Mrs。Eddywouldthrowawayhismedicine;CountTolstoiwouldrebukehimforlovinghiscountry;Mr。Blatchfordwouldstophisprayers,andMr。EdwardCarpenterwouldtheoreticallydenounceSundayclothes,andperhapsallclothes。Idonotdefendanyoftheseadvancedviews,notevenFagin\'s。ButIdoaskwhat,betweenthelotofthem,hasbecomeoftheabstractentitycallededucation。Itisnot(ascommonlysupposed) thatthetradesmanteacheseducationplusChristianity;Mr。Salt,educationplusvegetarianism;Fagin,educationpluscrime。Thetruthis,thatthereisnothingincommonatallbetweentheseteachers,exceptthattheyteach。Inshort,theonlythingtheyshareistheonethingtheyprofesstodislike:thegeneralideaofauthority。 Itisquaintthatpeopletalkofseparatingdogmafromeducation。 Dogmaisactuallytheonlythingthatcannotbeseparatedfromeducation。 Itiseducation。Ateacherwhoisnotdogmaticissimplyateacherwhoisnotteaching。 *** V ANEVILCRY Thefashionablefallacyisthatbyeducationwecangivepeoplesomethingthatwehavenotgot。Tohearpeopletalkonewouldthinkitwassomesortofmagicchemistry,bywhich,outofalaborioushotchpotchofhygienicmeals,baths,breathingexercises,freshairandfreehanddrawing,wecanproducesomethingsplendidbyaccident; wecancreatewhatwecannotconceive。Thesepageshave,ofcourse,noothergeneralpurposethantopointoutthatwecannotcreateanythinggooduntilwehaveconceivedit。Itisoddthatthesepeople,whointhematterofheredityaresosullenlyattachedtolaw,inthematterofenvironmentseemalmosttobelieveinmiracle。 Theyinsistthatnothingbutwhatwasinthebodiesoftheparentscangotomakethebodiesofthechildren。Buttheyseemsomehowtothinkthatthingscangetintotheheadsofthechildrenwhichwerenotintheheadsoftheparents,or,indeed,anywhereelse。 Therehasariseninthisconnectionafoolishandwickedcrytypicaloftheconfusion。Imeanthecry,\"Savethechildren。\" Itis,ofcourse,partofthatmodernmorbiditythatinsistsontreatingtheState(whichisthehomeofman) asasortofdesperateexpedientintimeofpanic。 ThisterrifiedopportunismisalsotheoriginoftheSocialistandotherschemes。Justastheywouldcollectandshareallthefoodasmendoinafamine,sotheywoulddividethechildrenfromtheirfathers,asmendoinashipwreck。 Thatahumancommunitymightconceivablynotbeinaconditionoffamineorshipwreckneverseemstocrosstheirminds。 Thiscryof\"Savethechildren\"hasinitthehatefulimplicationthatitisimpossibletosavethefathers; inotherwords,thatmanymillionsofgrown-up,sane,responsibleandself-supportingEuropeansaretobetreatedasdirtordebrisandsweptawayoutofthediscussion; calleddipsomaniacsbecausetheydrinkinpublichousesinsteadofprivatehouses;calledunemployablesbecausenobodyknowshowtogetthemwork;calleddullardsiftheystilladheretoconventions,andcalledloafersiftheystillloveliberty。 NowIamconcerned,firstandlast,tomaintainthatunlessyoucansavethefathers,youcannotsavethechildren;thatatpresentwecannotsaveothers,forwecannotsaveourselves。 Wecannotteachcitizenshipifwearenotcitizens;wecannotfreeothersifwehaveforgottentheappetiteoffreedom。 Educationisonlytruthinastateoftransmission;andhowcanwepassontruthifithasnevercomeintoourhand?Thuswefindthateducationisofallthecasestheclearestforourgeneralpurpose。 Itisvaintosavechildren;fortheycannotremainchildren。 Byhypothesisweareteachingthemtobemen;andhowcanitbesosimpletoteachanidealmanhoodtoothersifitissovainandhopelesstofindoneforourselves? Iknowthatcertaincrazypedantshaveattemptedtocounterthisdifficultybymaintainingthateducationisnotinstructionatall,doesnotteachbyauthorityatall。Theypresenttheprocessascoming,notfromtheoutside,fromtheteacher,butentirelyfrominsidetheboy。Education,theysay,istheLatinforleadingoutordrawingoutthedormantfacultiesofeachperson。 SomewherefardowninthedimboyishsoulisaprimordialyearningtolearnGreekaccentsortowearcleancollars;andtheschoolmasteronlygentlyandtenderlyliberatesthisimprisonedpurpose。 SealedupinthenewbornbabearetheintrinsicsecretsofhowtoeatasparagusandwhatwasthedateofBannockburn。Theeducatoronlydrawsoutthechild\'sownunapparentloveoflongdivision; onlyleadsoutthechild\'sslightlyveiledpreferenceformilkpuddingtotarts。IamnotsurethatIbelieveinthederivation; Ihaveheardthedisgracefulsuggestionthat\"educator,\"ifappliedtoaRomanschoolmaster,didnotmeanleadingouryoungfunctionsintofreedom;butonlymeanttakingoutlittleboysforawalk。 ButIammuchmorecertainthatIdonotagreewiththedoctrine; Ithinkitwouldbeaboutassanetosaythatthebaby\'smilkcomesfromthebabyastosaythatthebaby\'seducationalmeritsdo。 Thereis,indeed,ineachlivingcreatureacollectionofforcesandfunctions;buteducationmeansproducingtheseinparticularshapesandtrainingthemtoparticularpurposes,oritmeansnothingatall。 Speakingisthemostpracticalinstanceofthewholesituation。 Youmayindeed\"drawout\"squealsandgruntsfromthechildbysimplypokinghimandpullinghimabout,apleasantbutcruelpastimetowhichmanypsychologistsareaddicted。ButyouwillwaitandwatchverypatientlyindeedbeforeyoudrawtheEnglishlanguageoutofhim。 Thatyouhavegottoputintohim;andthereisanendofthematter。 *** VI AUTHORITYTHEUNAVOIDABLE Buttheimportantpointhereisonlythatyoucannotanyhowgetridofauthorityineducation;itisnotsomuch(aspoorConservativessay)thatparentalauthorityoughttobepreserved,asthatitcannotbedestroyed。Mr。BernardShawoncesaidthathehatedtheideaofformingachild\'smind。 InthatcaseMr。BernardShawhadbetterhanghimself; forhehatessomethinginseparablefromhumanlife。 Ionlymentionededucereandthedrawingoutofthefacultiesinordertopointoutthateventhismentaltrickdoesnotavoidtheinevitableideaofparentalorscholasticauthority。 Theeducatordrawingoutisjustasarbitraryandcoerciveastheinstructorpouringin;forhedrawsoutwhathechooses。 Hedecideswhatinthechildshallbedevelopedandwhatshallnotbedeveloped。Hedoesnot(Isuppose)drawouttheneglectedfacultyofforgery。Hedoesnot(sofaratleast) leadout,withtimidsteps,ashytalentfortorture。 Theonlyresultofallthispompousandprecisedistinctionbetweentheeducatorandtheinstructoristhattheinstructorpokeswherehelikesandtheeducatorpullswherehelikes。 Exactlythesameintellectualviolenceisdonetothecreaturewhoispokedandpulled。Nowwemustallaccepttheresponsibilityofthisintellectualviolence。Educationisviolent; becauseitiscreative。Itiscreativebecauseitishuman。 Itisasrecklessasplayingonthefiddle;asdogmaticasdrawingapicture;asbrutalasbuildingahouse。 Inshort,itiswhatallhumanactionis;itisaninterferencewithlifeandgrowth。Afterthatitisatriflingandevenajocularquestionwhetherwesayofthistremendoustormentor,theartistMan,thatheputsthingsintouslikeanapothecary,ordrawsthingsoutofus,likeadentist。 ThepointisthatMandoeswhathelikes。HeclaimstherighttotakehismotherNatureunderhiscontrol; heclaimstherighttomakehischildtheSuperman,inhisimage。 Onceflinchfromthiscreativeauthorityofman,andthewholecourageousraidwhichwecallcivilizationwaversandfallstopieces。Nowmostmodernfreedomisatrootfear。 Itisnotsomuchthatwearetooboldtoendurerules; itisratherthatwearetootimidtoendureresponsibilities。 AndMr。Shawandsuchpeopleareespeciallyshrinkingfromthatawfulandancestralresponsibilitytowhichourfatherscommitteduswhentheytookthewildstepofbecomingmen。 Imeantheresponsibilityofaffirmingthetruthofourhumantraditionandhandingitonwithavoiceofauthority,anunshakenvoice。Thatistheoneeternaleducation; tobesureenoughthatsomethingistruethatyoudaretotellittoachild。Fromthishighaudaciousdutythemodernsarefleeingoneveryside;andtheonlyexcuseforthemis,(ofcourse,)thattheirmodernphilosophiesaresohalf-bakedandhypotheticalthattheycannotconvincethemselvesenoughtoconvinceevenanewbornbabe。This,ofcourse,isconnectedwiththedecayofdemocracy;andissomewhatofaseparatesubject。SufficeittosayherethatwhenIsaythatweshouldinstructourchildren,Imeanthatweshoulddoit,notthatMr。SullyorProfessorEarlBarnesshoulddoit。 ThetroubleintoomanyofourmodernschoolsisthattheState,beingcontrolledsospeciallybythefew,allowscranksandexperimentstogostraighttotheschoolroomwhentheyhaveneverpassedthroughtheParliament,thepublichouse,theprivatehouse,thechurch,orthemarketplace。Obviously,itoughttobetheoldestthingsthataretaughttotheyoungestpeople; theassuredandexperiencedtruthsthatareputfirsttothebaby。 Butinaschoolto-daythebabyhastosubmittoasystemthatisyoungerthanhimself。Thefloppinginfantoffouractuallyhasmoreexperience,andhasweatheredtheworldlonger,thanthedogmatowhichheismadetosubmit。Manyaschoolboastsofhavingthelastideasineducation,whenithasnoteventhefirstidea;forthefirstideaisthateveninnocence,divineasitis,maylearnsomethingfromexperience。 Butthis,asIsay,isallduetothemerefactthatwearemanagedbyalittleoligarchy;mysystempresupposesthatmenwhogovernthemselveswillgoverntheirchildren。To-dayweallusePopularEducationasmeaningeducationofthepeople。 IwishIcoulduseitasmeaningeducationbythepeople。 Theurgentpointatpresentisthattheseexpansiveeducatorsdonotavoidtheviolenceofauthorityaninchmorethantheoldschoolmasters。Nay,itmightbemaintainedthattheyavoiditless。 Theoldvillageschoolmasterbeataboyfornotlearninggrammarandsenthimoutintotheplaygroundtoplayanythingheliked; oratnothing,ifhelikedthatbetter。Themodernscientificschoolmasterpursueshimintotheplaygroundandmakeshimplayatcricket,becauseexerciseissogoodforthehealth。ThemodernDr。Busbyisadoctorofmedicineaswellasadoctorofdivinity。 Hemaysaythatthegoodofexerciseisself-evident;buthemustsayit,andsayitwithauthority。Itcannotreallybeself-evidentoritnevercouldhavebeencompulsory。Butthisisinmodernpracticeaverymildcase。Inmodernpracticethefreeeducationistsforbidfarmorethingsthantheold-fashionededucationists。 Apersonwithatasteforparadox(ifanysuchshamelesscreaturecouldexist)mightwithsomeplausibilitymaintainconcerningallourexpansionsincethefailureofLuther\'sfrankpaganismanditsreplacementbyCalvin\'sPuritanism,thatallthisexpansionhasnotbeenanexpansion,buttheclosinginofaprison,sothatlessandlessbeautifulandhumanethingshavebeenpermitted。 ThePuritansdestroyedimages;theRationalistsforbadefairytales。 CountTostoipracticallyissuedoneofhispapalencyclicalsagainstmusic;andIhaveheardofmoderneducationistswhoforbidchildrentoplaywithtinsoldiers。IrememberameeklittlemadmanwhocameuptomeatsomeSocialistsoireeorother,andaskedmetousemyinfluence(haveIanyinfluence?)againstadventurestoriesforboys。 Itseemstheybreedanappetiteforblood。Butnevermindthat; onemustkeepone\'stemperinthismadhouse。Ineedonlyinsistherethatthesethings,evenifajustdeprivation,areadeprivation。 Idonotdenythattheoldvetoesandpunishmentswereoftenidioticandcruel;thoughtheyaremuchmoresoinacountrylikeEngland(whereinpracticeonlyarichmandecreesthepunishmentandonlyapoormanreceivesit)thanincountrieswithaclearerpopulartradition—— suchasRussia。InRussiafloggingisofteninflictedbypeasantsonapeasant。InmodernEnglandfloggingcanonlyinpracticebeinflictedbyagentlemanonaverypoorman。ThusonlyafewdaysagoasIwriteasmallboy(asonofthepoor,ofcourse) wassentencedtofloggingandimprisonmentforfiveyearsforhavingpickedupasmallpieceofcoalwhichtheexpertsvalueat5d。 Iamentirelyonthesideofsuchliberalsandhumanitariansashaveprotestedagainstthisalmostbestialignoranceaboutboys。 ButIdothinkitalittleunfairthatthesehumanitarians,whoexcuseboysforbeingrobbers,shoulddenouncethemforplayingatrobbers。 Idothinkthatthosewhounderstandaguttersnipeplayingwithapieceofcoalmight,byasuddenspurtofimagination,understandhimplayingwithatinsoldier。Tosumitupinonesentence: Ithinkmymeeklittlemadmanmighthaveunderstoodthatthereismanyaboywhowouldratherbeflogged,andunjustlyflogged,thanhavehisadventurestorytakenaway。 *** VII THEHUMILITYOFMRS。GRUNDY Inshort,theneweducationisasharshastheold,whetherornoitisashigh。Thefreestfad,asmuchasthestrictestformula,isstiffwithauthority。Itisbecausethehumanefatherthinkssoldierswrongthattheyareforbidden;thereisnopretense,therecanbenopretense,thattheboywouldthinkso。 Theaverageboy\'simpressioncertainlywouldbesimplythis: \"IfyourfatherisaMethodistyoumustnotplaywithsoldiersonSunday。IfyourfatherisaSocialistyoumustnotplaywiththemevenonweekdays。\"Alleducationistsareutterlydogmaticandauthoritarian。Youcannothavefreeeducation; forifyouleftachildfreeyouwouldnoteducatehimatall。 Isthere,then,nodistinctionordifferencebetweenthemosthide-boundconventionalistsandthemostbrilliantandbizarreinnovators? Istherenodifferencebetweentheheaviestheavyfatherandthemostrecklessandspeculativemaidenaunt?Yes;thereis。Thedifferenceisthattheheavyfather,inhisheavyway,isademocrat。 Hedoesnoturgeathingmerelybecausetohisfancyitshouldbedone;but,because(inhisownadmirablerepublicanformula) \"Everybodydoesit。\"Theconventionalauthoritydoesclaimsomepopularmandate;theunconventionalauthoritydoesnot。 ThePuritanwhoforbidssoldiersonSundayisatleastexpressingPuritanopinion;notmerelyhisownopinion。 Heisnotadespot;heisademocracy,atyrannicaldemocracy,adingyandlocaldemocracyperhaps;butonethatcoulddoandhasdonethetwoultimatevirilethings——fightandappealtoGod。ButthevetooftheneweducationistislikethevetooftheHouseofLords;itdoesnotpretendtoberepresentative。 TheseinnovatorsarealwaystalkingabouttheblushingmodestyofMrs。Grundy。IdonotknowwhetherMrs。Grundyismoremodestthantheyare;butIamsuresheismorehumble。 Butthereisafurthercomplication。Themoreanarchicmodernmayagainattempttoescapethedilemmabysayingthateducationshouldonlybeanenlargementofthemind,anopeningofalltheorgansofreceptivity。Light(hesays)shouldbebroughtintodarkness;blindedandthwartedexistencesinallouruglycornersshouldmerelybepermittedtoperceiveandexpand;inshort,enlightenmentshouldbeshedoverdarkestLondon。Nowhereisjustthetrouble;that,insofarasthisisinvolved,thereisnodarkestLondon。Londonisnotdarkatall;notevenatnight。 Wehavesaidthatifeducationisasolidsubstance,thenthereisnoneofit。Wemaynowsaythatifeducationisanabstractexpansionthereisnolackofit。Thereisfartoomuchofit。 Infact,thereisnothingelse。 Therearenouneducatedpeople。EverybodyinEnglandiseducated; onlymostpeopleareeducatedwrong。Thestateschoolswerenotthefirstschools,butamongthelastschoolstobeestablished; andLondonhadbeeneducatingLondonerslongbeforetheLondonSchoolBoard。Theerrorisahighlypracticalone。 Itispersistentlyassumedthatunlessachildiscivilizedbytheestablishedschools,hemustremainabarbarian。Iwishhedid。 EverychildinLondonbecomesahighlycivilizedperson。 Butherearesomanydifferentcivilizations,mostofthemborntired。 Anyonewilltellyouthatthetroublewiththepoorisnotsomuchthattheoldarestillfoolish,butratherthattheyoungarealreadywise。 Withoutgoingtoschoolatall,thegutter-boywouldbeeducated。 Withoutgoingtoschoolatall,hewouldbeover-educated。Therealobjectofourschoolsshouldbenotsomuchtosuggestcomplexityassolelytorestoresimplicity。Youwillhearvenerableidealistsdeclarewemustmakewarontheignoranceofthepoor; but,indeed,wehaverathertomakewarontheirknowledge。 Realeducationistshavetoresistakindofroaringcataractofculture。Thetruantisbeingtaughtallday。Ifthechildrendonotlookatthelargelettersinthespelling-book,theyneedonlywalkoutsideandlookatthelargelettersontheposter。 Iftheydonotcareforthecoloredmapsprovidedbytheschool,theycangapeatthecoloredmapsprovidedbytheDailyMail。Iftheytireofelectricity,theycantaketoelectrictrams。 Iftheyareunmovedbymusic,theycantaketodrink。 Iftheywillnotworksoastogetaprizefromtheirschool,theymayworktogetaprizefromPrizyBits。Iftheycannotlearnenoughaboutlawandcitizenshiptopleasetheteacher,theylearnenoughaboutthemtoavoidthepoliceman。Iftheywillnotlearnhistoryforwardsfromtherightendinthehistorybooks,theywilllearnitbackwardsfromthewrongendinthepartynewspapers。 Andthisisthetragedyofthewholeaffair:thattheLondonpoor,aparticularlyquick-wittedandcivilizedclass,learneverythingtailforemost,learnevenwhatisrightinthewayofwhatiswrong。 Theydonotseethefirstprinciplesoflawinalawbook; theyonlyseeitslastresultsinthepolicenews。 Theydonotseethetruthsofpoliticsinageneralsurvey。 Theyonlyseetheliesofpolitics,ataGeneralElection。 ButwhateverbethepathosoftheLondonpoor,ithasnothingtodowithbeinguneducated。Sofarfrombeingwithoutguidance,theyareguidedconstantly,earnestly,excitedly;onlyguidedwrong。 Thepoorarenotatallneglected,theyaremerelyoppressed; nay,rathertheyarepersecuted。TherearenopeopleinLondonwhoarenotappealedtobytherich;theappealsoftherichshriekfromeveryhoardingandshoutfromeveryhustings。 Foritshouldalwaysberememberedthatthequeer,abruptuglinessofourstreetsandcostumesarenotthecreationofdemocracy,butofaristocracy。TheHouseofLordsobjectedtotheEmbankmentbeingdisfiguredbytrams。Butmostoftherichmenwhodisfigurethestreet-wallswiththeirwaresareactuallyintheHouseofLords。Thepeersmakethecountryseatsbeautifulbymakingthetownstreetshideous。This,however,isparenthetical。 Thepointis,thatthepoorinLondonarenotleftalone,butratherdeafenedandbewilderedwithraucousanddespoticadvice。 Theyarenotlikesheepwithoutashepherd。Theyaremorelikeonesheepwhomtwenty-sevenshepherdsareshoutingat。Allthenewspapers,allthenewadvertisements,allthenewmedicinesandnewtheologies,alltheglareandblareofthegasandbrassofmoderntimes—— itisagainstthesethatthenationalschoolmustbearupifitcan。 Iwillnotquestionthatourelementaryeducationisbetterthanbarbaricignorance。Butthereisnobarbaricignorance。 Idonotdoubtthatourschoolswouldbegoodforuninstructedboys。 Buttherearenouninstructedboys。AmodernLondonschooloughtnotmerelytobeclearer,kindlier,morecleverandmorerapidthanignoranceanddarkness。Itmustalsobeclearerthanapicturepostcard,clevererthanaLimerickcompetition,quickerthanthetram,andkindlierthanthetavern。Theschool,infact,hastheresponsibilityofuniversalrivalry。Weneednotdenythateverywherethereisalightthatmustconquerdarkness。 Butherewedemandalightthatcanconquerlight。 *** VIII THEBROKENRAINBOW Iwilltakeonecasethatwillservebothassymbolandexample: thecaseofcolor。Weheartherealists(thosesentimentalfellows) talkingaboutthegraystreetsandthegraylivesofthepoor。 Butwhateverthepoorstreetsaretheyarenotgray; butmotley,striped,spotted,piebaldandpatchedlikeaquilt。 Hoxtonisnotaestheticenoughtobemonochrome;andthereisnothingoftheCeltictwilightaboutit。Asamatteroffact,aLondongutter-boywalksunscathedamongfurnacesofcolor。 Watchhimwalkalongalineofhoardings,andyouwillseehimnowagainstglowinggreen,likeatravelerinatropicforest; nowblacklikeabirdagainsttheburningblueoftheMidi; nowpassantacrossafieldgules,likethegoldenleopardsofEngland。HeoughttounderstandtheirrationalraptureofthatcryofMr。StephenPhillipsabout\"thatbluerblue,thatgreenergreen。\" ThereisnobluemuchbluerthanReckitt\'sBlueandnoblackingblackerthanDayandMartin\'s;nomoreemphaticyellowthanthatofColman\'sMustard。If,despitethischaosofcolor,likeashatteredrainbow,thespiritofthesmallboyisnotexactlyintoxicatedwithartandculture,thecausecertainlydoesnotlieinuniversalgraynessorthemerestarvingofhissenses。Itliesinthefactthatthecolorsarepresentedinthewrongconnection,onthewrongscale,and,aboveall,fromthewrongmotive。 Itisnotcolorshelacks,butaphilosophyofcolors。 Inshort,thereisnothingwrongwithReckitt\'sBlueexceptthatitisnotReckitt\'s。BluedoesnotbelongtoReckitt,buttothesky; blackdoesnotbelongtoDayandMartin,buttotheabyss。 Eventhefinestpostersareonlyverylittlethingsonaverylargescale。Thereissomethingspeciallyirritantinthiswayabouttheiterationofadvertisementsofmustard:acondiment,asmallluxury;athinginitsnaturenottobetakeninquantity。 Thereisaspecialironyinthesestarvingstreetstoseesuchagreatdealofmustardtosuchverylittlemeat。 Yellowisabrightpigment;mustardisapungentpleasure。 Buttolookattheseseasofyellowistobelikeamanwhoshouldswallowgallonsofmustard。Hewouldeitherdie,orlosethetasteofmustardaltogether。 Nowsupposewecomparethesegigantictrivialitiesonthehoardingswiththosetinyandtremendouspicturesinwhichthemediaevalsrecordedtheirdreams;littlepictureswheretheblueskyishardlylongerthanasinglesapphire,andthefiresofjudgmentonlyapigmypatchofgold。 Thedifferencehereisnotmerelythatposterartisinitsnaturemorehastythanilluminationart;itisnotevenmerelythattheancientartistwasservingtheLordwhilethemodernartistisservingthelords。Itisthattheoldartistcontrivedtoconveyanimpressionthatcolorsreallyweresignificantandpreciousthings,likejewelsandtalismanicstones。 Thecolorwasoftenarbitrary;butitwasalwaysauthoritative。 Ifabirdwasblue,ifatreewasgolden,ifafishwassilver,ifacloudwasscarlet,theartistmanagedtoconveythatthesecolorswereimportantandalmostpainfullyintense; alltheredred-hotandallthegoldtriedinthefire。 Nowthatisthespirittouchingcolorwhichtheschoolsmustrecoverandprotectiftheyarereallytogivethechildrenanyimaginativeappetiteorpleasureinthething。 Itisnotsomuchanindulgenceincolor;itisrather,ifanything,asortoffierythrift。Itfencedinagreenfieldinheraldryasstraitlyasagreenfieldinpeasantproprietorship。 Itwouldnotflingawaygoldleafanymorethangoldcoin; itwouldnotheedlesslypouroutpurpleorcrimson,anymorethanitwouldspillgoodwineorshedblamelessblood。 Thatisthehardtaskbeforeeducationistsinthisspecialmatter; theyhavetoteachpeopletorelishcolorslikeliquors。 Theyhavetheheavybusinessofturningdrunkardsintowinetasters。 Ifeventhetwentiethcenturysucceedsindoingthesethings,itwillalmostcatchupwiththetwelfth。 Theprinciplecovers,however,thewholeofmodernlife。 MorrisandthemerelyaestheticmediaevalistsalwaysindicatedthatacrowdinthetimeofChaucerwouldhavebeenbrightlycladandglittering,comparedwithacrowdinthetimeofQueenVictoria。Iamnotsosurethattherealdistinctionishere。Therewouldbebrownfrocksoffriarsinthefirstsceneaswellasbrownbowlersofclerksinthesecond。 Therewouldbepurpleplumesoffactorygirlsinthesecondsceneaswellaspurplelentenvestmentsinthefirst。 Therewouldbewhitewaistcoatsagainstwhiteermine;goldwatchchainsagainstgoldlions。Therealdifferenceisthis: thatthebrownearth-colorofthemonk\'scoatwasinstinctivelychosentoexpresslaborandhumility,whereasthebrowncoloroftheclerk\'shatwasnotchosentoexpressanything。 Themonkdidmeantosaythatherobedhimselfindust。 Iamsuretheclerkdoesnotmeantosaythathecrownshimselfwithclay。Heisnotputtingdustonhishead,astheonlydiademofman。Purple,atoncerichandsomber,doessuggestatriumphtemporarilyeclipsedbyatragedy。 Butthefactorygirldoesnotintendherhattoexpressatriumphtemporarilyeclipsedbyatragedy;farfromit。Whiteerminewasmeanttoexpressmoralpurity;whitewaistcoatswerenot。 Goldlionsdosuggestaflamingmagnanimity;goldwatchchainsdonot。 Thepointisnotthatwehavelostthematerialhues,butthatwehavelostthetrickofturningthemtothebestadvantage。 Wearenotlikechildrenwhohavelosttheirpaintboxandareleftalonewithagraylead-pencil。Wearelikechildrenwhohavemixedallthecolorsinthepaint-boxtogetherandlostthepaperofinstructions。Eventhen(Idonotdeny) onehassomefun。 Nowthisabundanceofcolorsandlossofacolorschemeisaprettyperfectparableofallthatiswrongwithourmodernidealsandespeciallywithourmoderneducation。Itisthesamewithethicaleducation,economiceducation,everysortofeducation。 ThegrowingLondonchildwillfindnolackofhighlycontroversialteacherswhowillteachhimthatgeographymeanspaintingthemapred; thateconomicsmeanstaxingtheforeigner,thatpatriotismmeansthepeculiarlyun-EnglishhabitofflyingaflagonEmpireDay。InmentioningtheseexamplesspeciallyIdonotmeantoimplythattherearenosimilarcruditiesandpopularfallaciesupontheotherpoliticalside。Imentionthembecausetheyconstituteaveryspecialandarrestingfeatureofthesituation。 Imeanthis,thattherewerealwaysRadicalrevolutionists; butnowthereareToryrevolutionistsalso。ThemodernConservativenolongerconserves。Heisavowedlyaninnovator。 ThusallthecurrentdefensesoftheHouseofLordswhichdescribeitasabulwarkagainstthemob,areintellectuallydonefor; thebottomhasfallenoutofthem;becauseonfiveorsixofthemostturbulenttopicsoftheday,theHouseofLordsisamobitself; andexceedinglylikelytobehavelikeone。 *** IX THENEEDFORNARROWNESS Throughallthischaos,thenwecomebackoncemoretoourmainconclusion。Thetruetaskofcultureto-dayisnotataskofexpansion,butverydecidedlyofselection——andrejection。 Theeducationistmustfindacreedandteachit。Evenifitbenotatheologicalcreed,itmuststillbeasfastidiousandasfirmastheology。Inshort,itmustbeorthodox。TheteachermaythinkitantiquatedtohavetodecidepreciselybetweenthefaithofCalvinandofLaud,thefaithofAquinasandofSwedenborg; buthestillhastochoosebetweenthefaithofKiplingandofShaw,betweentheworldofBlatchfordandofGeneralBooth。Callit,ifyouwill,anarrowquestionwhetheryourchildshallbebroughtupbythevicarortheministerorthepopishpriest。 Youhavestilltofacethatlarger,moreliberal,morehighlycivilizedquestion,ofwhetherheshallbebroughtupbyHarmsworthorbyPearson,byMr。EustaceMileswithhisSimpleLifeorMr。PeterKearywithhisStrenuousLife;whetherheshallmosteagerlyreadMissAnnieS。SwanorMr。BartKennedy;inshort,whetherheshallendupinthemereviolenceoftheS。D。F。,orinthemerevulgarityofthePrimroseLeague。Theysaythatnowadaysthecreedsarecrumbling;Idoubtit,butatleastthesectsareincreasing;andeducationmustnowbesectarianeducation,merelyforpracticalpurposes。 Outofallthisthrongoftheoriesitmustsomehowselectatheory; outofallthesethunderingvoicesitmustmanagetohearavoice; outofallthisawfulandachingbattleofblindinglights,withoutoneshadowtogiveshapetothem,itmustmanagesomehowtotraceandtotrackastar。 Ihavespokensofarofpopulareducation,whichbegantoovagueandvastandwhichthereforehasaccomplishedlittle。 ButasithappensthereisinEnglandsomethingtocompareitwith。 Thereisaninstitution,orclassofinstitutions,whichbeganwiththesamepopularobject,whichhassincefollowedamuchnarrowerobject,butwhichhadthegreatadvantagethatitdidfollowsomeobject,unlikeourmodernelementaryschools。 InalltheseproblemsIshouldurgethesolutionwhichispositive,or,assillypeoplesay,\"optimistic。\"Ishouldsetmyface,thatis,againstmostofthesolutionsthataresolelynegativeandabolitionist。 Mosteducatorsofthepoorseemtothinkthattheyhavetoteachthepoormannottodrink。Ishouldbequitecontentiftheyteachhimtodrink; foritismereignoranceabouthowtodrinkandwhentodrinkthatisaccountableformostofhistragedies。Idonotpropose(likesomeofmyrevolutionaryfriends)thatweshouldabolishthepublicschools。 Iproposethemuchmoreluridanddesperateexperimentthatweshouldmakethempublic。IdonotwishtomakeParliamentstopworking,butrathertomakeitwork;nottoshutupchurches,butrathertoopenthem; nottoputoutthelampoflearningordestroythehedgeofproperty,butonlytomakesomerudeefforttomakeuniversitiesfairlyuniversalandpropertydecentlyproper。 Inmanycases,letitberemembered,suchactionisnotmerelygoingbacktotheoldideal,butisevengoingbacktotheoldreality。 Itwouldbeagreatstepforwardfortheginshoptogobacktotheinn。Itisincontrovertiblytruethattomediaevalizethepublicschoolswouldbetodemocratizethepublicschools。 Parliamentdidoncereallymean(asitsnameseemstoimply) aplacewherepeoplewereallowedtotalk。Itisonlylatelythatthegeneralincreaseofefficiency,thatis,oftheSpeaker,hasmadeitmostlyaplacewherepeoplearepreventedfromtalking。 Thepoordonotgotothemodernchurch,buttheywenttotheancientchurchallright;andifthecommonmaninthepasthadagraverespectforproperty,itmayconceivablyhavebeenbecausehesometimeshadsomeofhisown。IthereforecanclaimthatIhavenovulgaritchofinnovationinanythingIsayaboutanyoftheseinstitutions。 CertainlyIhavenoneinthatparticularonewhichIamnowobligedtopickoutofthelist;atypeofinstitutiontowhichIhavegenuineandpersonalreasonsforbeingfriendlyandgrateful: ImeanthegreatTudorfoundations,thepublicschoolsofEngland。Theyhavebeenpraisedforagreatmanythings,mostly,Iamsorrytosay,praisedbythemselvesandtheirchildren。 Andyetforsomereasonnoonehaseverpraisedthemtheonereallyconvincingreason。 *** X THECASEFORTHEPUBLICSCHOOLS Thewordsuccesscanofcoursebeusedintwosenses。 Itmaybeusedwithreferencetoathingservingitsimmediateandpeculiarpurpose,asofawheelgoingaround;oritcanbeusedwithreferencetoathingaddingtothegeneralwelfare,asofawheelbeingausefuldiscovery。ItisonethingtosaythatSmith\'sflyingmachineisafailure,andquiteanothertosaythatSmithhasfailedtomakeaflyingmachine。 NowthisisverybroadlythedifferencebetweentheoldEnglishpublicschoolsandthenewdemocraticschools。 Perhapstheoldpublicschoolsare(asIpersonallythinktheyare) ultimatelyweakeningthecountryratherthanstrengtheningit,andaretherefore,inthatultimatesense,inefficient。 Butthereissuchathingasbeingefficientlyinefficient。 Youcanmakeyourflyingshipsothatitflies,evenifyoualsomakeitsothatitkillsyou。Nowthepublicschoolsystemmaynotworksatisfactorily,butitworks;thepublicschoolsmaynotachievewhatwewant,buttheyachievewhattheywant。 Thepopularelementaryschoolsdonotinthatsenseachieveanythingatall。Itisverydifficulttopointtoanyguttersnipeinthestreetandsaythatheembodiestheidealforwhichpopulareducationhasbeenworking,inthesensethatthefresh-faced,foolishboyin\"Etons\"doesembodytheidealforwhichtheheadmastersofHarrowandWinchesterhavebeenworking。 Thearistocraticeducationistshavethepositivepurposeofturningoutgentlemen,andtheydoturnoutgentlemen,evenwhentheyexpelthem。Thepopulareducationistswouldsaythattheyhadthefarnoblerideaofturningoutcitizens。 Iconcedethatitisamuchnobleridea,butwherearethecitizens? Iknowthattheboyin\"Etons\"isstiffwitharathersillyandsentimentalstoicism,calledbeingamanoftheworld。 Idonotfancythattheerrand-boyisrigidwiththatrepublicanstoicismthatiscalledbeingacitizen。Theschoolboywillreallysaywithfreshandinnocenthauteur,\"IamanEnglishgentleman。\" Icannotsoeasilypicturetheerrand-boydrawinguphisheadtothestarsandanswering,\"Romanuscivissum。\" Letitbegrantedthatourelementaryteachersareteachingtheverybroadestcodeofmorals,whileourgreatheadmastersareteachingonlythenarrowestcodeofmanners。 Letitbegrantedthatboththesethingsarebeingtaught。 Butonlyoneofthemisbeinglearned。 Itisalwayssaidthatgreatreformersormastersofeventscanmanagetobringaboutsomespecificandpracticalreforms,butthattheyneverfulfilltheirvisionsorsatisfytheirsouls。 Ibelievethereisarealsenseinwhichthisapparentplatitudeisquiteuntrue。Byastrangeinversionthepoliticalidealistoftendoesnotgetwhatheasksfor,butdoesgetwhathewants。 Thesilentpressureofhisideallastsmuchlongerandreshapestheworldmuchmorethantheactualitiesbywhichheattemptedtosuggestit。 Whatperishesistheletter,whichhethoughtsopractical。 Whatenduresisthespirit,whichhefelttobeunattainableandevenunutterable。Itisexactlyhisschemesthatarenotfulfilled;itisexactlyhisvisionthatisfulfilled。 ThusthetenortwelvepaperconstitutionsoftheFrenchRevolution,whichseemedsobusiness-liketotheframersofthem,seemtoustohaveflownawayonthewindasthewildestfancies。 Whathasnotflownaway,whatisafixedfactinEurope,istheidealandvision。TheRepublic,theideaofalandfullofmerecitizensallwithsomeminimumofmannersandminimumofwealth,thevisionoftheeighteenthcentury,therealityofthetwentieth。SoIthinkitwillgenerallybewiththecreatorofsocialthings,desirableorundesirable。 Allhisschemeswillfail,allhistoolsbreakinhishands。 Hiscompromiseswillcollapse,hisconcessionswillbeuseless。 Hemustbracehimselftobearhisfate;heshallhavenothingbuthisheart\'sdesire。 Nowifonemaycompareverysmallthingswithverygreat,onemaysaythattheEnglisharistocraticschoolscanclaimsomethingofthesamesortofsuccessandsolidsplendorastheFrenchdemocraticpolitics。AtleasttheycanclaimthesamesortofsuperiorityoverthedistractedandfumblingattemptsofmodernEnglandtoestablishdemocraticeducation。 SuchsuccessashasattendedthepublicschoolboythroughouttheEmpire,asuccessexaggeratedindeedbyhimself,butstillpositiveandafactofacertainindisputableshapeandsize,hasbeenduetothecentralandsupremecircumstancethatthemanagersofourpublicschoolsdidknowwhatsortofboytheyliked。 Theywantedsomethingandtheygotsomething;insteadofgoingtoworkinthebroad-mindedmannerandwantingeverythingandgettingnothing。 Theonlythinginquestionisthequalityofthethingtheygot。 Thereissomethinghighlymaddeninginthecircumstancethatwhenmodernpeopleattackaninstitutionthatreallydoesdemandreform,theyalwaysattackitforthewrongreasons。 Thusmanyopponentsofourpublicschools,imaginingthemselvestobeverydemocratic,haveexhaustedthemselvesinanunmeaningattackuponthestudyofGreek。IcanunderstandhowGreekmayberegardedasuseless,especiallybythosethirstingtothrowthemselvesintothecutthroatcommercewhichisthenegationofcitizenship; butIdonotunderstandhowitcanbeconsideredundemocratic。 IquiteunderstandwhyMr。CarnegiehasahatredofGreek。Itisobscurelyfoundedonthefirmandsoundimpressionthatinanyself-governingGreekcityhewouldhavebeenkilled。 ButIcannotcomprehendwhyanychancedemocrat,sayMr。Quelch,orMr。WillCrooks,IorMr。JohnM。Robertson,shouldbeopposedtopeoplelearningtheGreekalphabet,whichwasthealphabetofliberty。 WhyshouldRadicalsdislikeGreek?Inthatlanguageiswrittenalltheearliestand,Heavenknows,themostheroichistoryoftheRadicalparty。WhyshouldGreekdisgustademocrat,whentheveryworddemocratisGreek? Asimilarmistake,thoughalessseriousone,ismerelyattackingtheathleticsofpublicschoolsassomethingpromotinganimalismandbrutality。Nowbrutality,intheonlyimmoralsense,isnotaviceoftheEnglishpublicschools。 Thereismuchmoralbullying,owingtothegenerallackofmoralcourageinthepublic-schoolatmosphere。 Theseschoolsdo,uponthewhole,encouragephysicalcourage; buttheydonotmerelydiscouragemoralcourage,theyforbidit。 TheultimateresultofthethingisseenintheegregiousEnglishofficerwhocannotevenenduretowearabrightuniformexceptwhenitisblurredandhiddeninthesmokeofbattle。 This,likealltheaffectationsofourpresentplutocracy,isanentirelymodernthing。Itwasunknowntotheoldaristocrats。 TheBlackPrincewouldcertainlyhaveaskedthatanyknightwhohadthecouragetolifthiscrestamonghisenemies,shouldalsohavethecouragetoliftitamonghisfriends。 Asregardsmoralcourage,thenitisnotsomuchthatthepublicschoolssupportitfeebly,asthattheysuppressitfirmly。 Butphysicalcouragetheydo,onthewhole,support;andphysicalcourageisamagnificentfundamental。Theonegreat,wiseEnglishmanoftheeighteenthcenturysaidtrulythatifamanlostthatvirtuehecouldneverbesureofkeepinganyother。 Nowitisoneofthemeanandmorbidmodernliesthatphysicalcourageisconnectedwithcruelty。TheTolstoianandKiplingitearenowheremoreatonethaninmaintainingthis。Theyhave,Ibelieve,somesmallsectarianquarrelwitheachother,theonesayingthatcouragemustbeabandonedbecauseitisconnectedwithcruelty,andtheothermaintainingthatcrueltyischarmingbecauseitisapartofcourage。Butitisall,thankGod,alie。 Anenergyandboldnessofbodymaymakeamanstupidorrecklessordullordrunkorhungry,butitdoesnotmakehimspiteful。 Andwemayadmitheartily(withoutjoininginthatperpetualpraisewhichpublic-schoolmenarealwayspouringuponthemselves) thatthisdoesoperatetotheremovalofmereevilcrueltyinthepublicschools。EnglishpublicschoollifeisextremelylikeEnglishpubliclife,forwhichitisthepreparatoryschool。 Itislikeitspeciallyinthis,thatthingsareeitherveryopen,commonandconventional,orelseareverysecretindeed。 Nowthereiscrueltyinpublicschools,justasthereiskleptomaniaandsecretdrinkingandviceswithoutaname。 Butthesethingsdonotflourishinthefulldaylightandcommonconsciousnessoftheschool,andnomoredoescruelty。 Atinytrioofsullen-lookingboysgatherincornersandseemtohavesomeuglybusinessalways;itmaybeindecentliterature,itmaybethebeginningofdrink,itmayoccasionallybecrueltytolittleboys。Butonthisstagethebullyisnotabraggart。 Theproverbsaysthatbulliesarealwayscowardly,butthesebulliesaremorethancowardly;theyareshy。 Asathirdinstanceofthewrongformofrevoltagainstthepublicschools,Imaymentionthehabitofusingthewordaristocracywithadoubleimplication。Toputtheplaintruthasbrieflyaspossible,ifaristocracymeansrulebyarichring,EnglandhasaristocracyandtheEnglishpublicschoolssupportit。 Ifitmeansrulebyancientfamiliesorflawlessblood,Englandhasnotgotaristocracy,andthepublicschoolssystematicallydestroyit。Inthesecirclesrealaristocracy,likerealdemocracy,hasbecomebadform。Amodernfashionablehostdarenotpraisehisancestry;itwouldsooftenbeaninsulttohalftheotheroligarchsattable,whohavenoancestry。 WehavesaidhehasnotthemoralCouragetowearhisuniform; stilllesshashethemoralcouragetowearhiscoat-of-arms。 Thewholethingnowisonlyavaguehotch-potchofniceandnastygentlemen。Thenicegentlemanneverreferstoanyoneelse\'sfather,thenastygentlemanneverreferstohisown。 Thatistheonlydifference,therestisthepublic-schoolmanner。 ButEtonandHarrowhavetobearistocraticbecausetheyconsistsolargelyofparvenues。Thepublicschoolisnotasortofrefugeforaristocrats,likeanasylum,aplacewheretheygoinandnevercomeout。Itisafactoryforaristocrats; theycomeoutwithouteverhavingperceptiblygonein。 Thepoorlittleprivateschools,intheirold-world,sentimental,feudalstyle,usedtostickupanotice,\"FortheSonsofGentlemenonly。\"Ifthepublicschoolsstuckupanoticeitoughttobeinscribed,\"FortheFathersofGentlemenonly。\" Intwogenerationstheycandothetrick。