The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-01-15
EDUCATIoNAL.
Advertisement No. A.
How to Teach Political Economy
In the Lyeeum Institute.

TO1ltical EcOnOHly IL one ol Ufic lhost fmHOrt-
ant branches Of study, because it covers the
most practical relations Of life. How to obtain
subsistence for the body and the means of CON-
fort for the household is the first question THAI
concerns the mass OF men. and ought to be the
first question with every young person. No one
ought to consider his father rich enough to
raise him above the necessity Of applying tho
first efforts Of his early mannood to the purpose
Of obtaining living.
In making this statement we have raised q
question in Morals as well as in Political Econ
omy The ethical principle alluded 10 is tho
obligation OF every one to obtain the means
OF support by his own efforts. 1t shows that
Political Economy can not be divorced from
Moral Science, though authors have generally
treated it as branch of knowledge having eS-
elusive reference to the system Of things as,is
is, and not as it should be. 1t may be very
comfortable for those who get their support
and heap up fortunes out Of others to have
Economy divorced from Ethics; bat the mass
of mankind. being compelled to labor in ths
production of wealth, can not long study Politi.
cal Economy without finding mystery in the
fact that some get 500 per day for doing moth
| Ing, while others get but q dollar, Two dollars,
or three dollars per day by hard work; and
they will inevitably demand the how and the
| wherefore Of this great difference. They will
| even demand to be informed by what principle
an able bodied and able minded man rightfully
gets SO much doing nothing except frolic lifo
| away in luxury, while others who may not ba
to able either in body or mind, get so small S.
reward for nard toll all the day and incessant
rest for weary muscles and aching bones dur.
ing the whole night, leaving no time or means
for recreation and enjoyment
Ethical questions, however, would be raise
incidentally in teaching Political Economy.
Primarily, this science treats OF tho Produce
ton, Distribution, Consumption and Exchange,
of wealth. Labor, Land, Capital and Skill ars'
chiefly concerned in the production OF wealth,
The Distribution Of wealth is into Wages.
Rents and Profits, while the support of the poo.
pie, the government education, religion, luxu-
ry, &C., comprises the Consumption of wealth.
The Exchange OF wealthy involves Comm rces,
including barter and buying and selling by
means OF medium called money, transporta-
ton by land and sea, and raises all the ques--
tions concerning currency, values, &c.
What science, therefore, covers SO many Of
tho fundamental interests OF mankind as Poll
tical Economy And when it is considered
that the people must be fell and clothed befora
| anything can be accomplished by education,
religion, art or general culture, why does NOT
Political Economy very properly claim the
first and most searching attention OF the
schools and OF all educators in whatever capa-
citya
1t will be so considered in the Lyccum Inst;-
tute; and also in the Lyceun University,
which will be the Institute extended to unver-
sal learning and perfected in the new methods.
What will be the method Of teaching, tll;a
| science in the Lyceum Institute and Uniyer-
sitya 1t will be quite different from that
usually pursued We find certain text book
with questions at the foot of each page or in an
appendix, the answers to which are often ncr
| chanically learned, and mechanically useu By
lazy or ignorant professors in conducting an
automatic recitation. An ingenious French
man or Yankee might make an automatic pro-
fessor and an automatic class, and by winding
them up like clock they would perform the
whole process of recitation according 10 the
| standard Of perfection erected by such text
| books.
In colleges and universities, however, with
| some pretensions, the professor giYcs lectures
on this science, though he follows the most aTs-
proved Textbook. The lecturer sometimes
| canvasses the opinions Of the most distinguish
| ed authors on each topic, but the utmost Of his
| thought is to balance authorities and give tho
class the doctrine as settled by the ma ority or
| by the author who has obtained the most gene
raj approval and applause
! AS usually taught, this science often amounts
to nothing Of any value to the student, while
In some cases time and money, though not AZ
together thrown away, are not made half az
productive in learning as they would be under
| better method.
| The Lyceum method can be fully understood
by single illustration. Suppose we are en-
tering upon the topic of Labor as an element Of
production. The Professor gives lecture
chiefly for the purpose Of showing the class
how to investigate it for themselves. He then
assigns the leading authors to the members Of
the class; to one, Adam Smiths Wealth OF
Nations, to another, Says Work, to another, Sis
mondi to fourth, Senator Tracey, to fifth,
j. s. Mills Work, to sixth, Thornton on La
Dor, to a seventh, Carey, to the eighth, List, to
the ninth, the Work by Horace Greeley, and
SO on through the whole class. Probably three
days should be given to preparation for The
recitation. Each one is required to condcnse
into as brief a compass as possible The most
important views and facts given by his author,
and deliver his synopsis either orally or from
manuscript to the class. Three days are given
to the preparation, and the recitation occupies
half day; the same topic to be continued un-
til thoroughly mastered by the class. Most Of
all, the students arc urged to have opinions Of