The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-01-11
EDUCATION
Advertisement No. a.
How to Teach Political Economy
In the Lyceum Institute.

most practical relations OF lie. How TO obtain
subsistence for the body and the means Of com
fort for the household is the first question that
concerns the mass OF men, and ought TO be the
first question with every young person. No ono
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 .
question in Morals as well as In Political Econ
J omy. The ethical principle alluded to is the
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 ex-
elusive reference to the system of things as IL
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: but the mass
of mankind. being compelled to labor in the
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 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 Hghtfully
gets SO much doing nothing except frolic life
away in luxury, while others, who may not be
to able either in body or mind, got so small .
| reward for hard toll all the day and incessant
rest for weary muscles and aching bones dur
| ing the whole night, leaving no time OF means
for recreation and enJeymeht.
Ethical questions, however, would be raise
| incidentally in teaching Political Economy.
Primarily, this science treats of the Produo-
tion, Distribution, Consumption and Exchange
Of wealth. Labor, Land, Capital and Skill are
chiefly concerned in the production Of wealth.
The distribution Of wealth is into Wages,
Rents and Profits, while the support of the pso-
pie, the government, education, religion, luxu-
ry, &C., comprises the Consumption Of wealth.
The Exchange Of wealt ~ involves Commerce,
including barter and buying and selling by
means OF medium called money, transporta-
tion by land and sea, and raises all tf6 ,ques-
tions concerning currency, values, &c.
What science, therefore, covers SO many Of
tho fundamental interests OF mankind as)Poli-
tical Economy And when it is considered
that the people must be fed and clothed before
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-
city?
will be so considered in the Lyceum IDsti-
tute; and also in the Lyceum University,
which will be the Institute extended to uniyer-
cal learning and perfected in the new methods.
What will be the method OF teaching this
science in the Lyccum Institute and Unyer-
sity? 1t will be quite different from that
usually pursued. We find a certain text book
with questions at the foot of each page or inan
appendix, the answers to which are often me
chancally learned, and mechanically used by
lazy Or ignorant professors in conducting an
automatic recitation. An ingenious French
man or Yankee might make IN automatic pro-
fessor and an automatic class, and by winding
them up like clock theywould perform the
whole process Of recitation according to the
standard of perfection erected by such text
books.
In colleges and universities, however with
some pretensions, the professor gives lectures
on this science, though he follows the most ap-
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 the
class the doctrine as settled by the majority 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
me, ir,p md ponn oh Vnt al
together thrown away, are not made half al
productive in learning as they would be under
abetter 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 " ork TO another, Sis
mOndi, to fourth, Senator Tracey, to q fifth,
j. s. Mills Work, to o sixth, Thornton on La
Dor, 10 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
iccitaeioh' Lawn OhO 40 Ae4uACu W Cohuono1
into as brief q 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 giveR
to the preparation, and the recitation occupies
half day; the same topic TO be continued un-
til thoroughly mastered by the class. Most Oh
all, the students are urged to have opinions Of
their own.
So. also, when the subject of Money an9
Banking comes up, it is investigated in tho
same way. The authors are distributed to tho
class, and all views that have been urged arc
brought under consideration. The professor
Introduces it with lecture in which he ex-
plains the function of money, the differenk
kinds Of money, such as metallic, mixed and
paper, the nature Of banking, the experiences
Of nations with the different currencies, &C..
thus enabling the students 10 search the an
thors to thebest advantage. After three dayF
preparation, with several other studies ON
hand, and half days recitation, the class viii
find all the fog that hangs between tho subject
and the vision of the people dispellcd, and tho
comfort of q lifetime of intelligence on this
subject, SO dark to nearly all the people, is Sc
cured.