The Republican journal., 1889-04-18
Mental Culture.

Spencer says that ii is not 10 he supposed
that even our most advanced modes Of teach
ing are the right ones, or nearly the right "n.-.
The suppression OF every error is followed by
temporary nSccndency of its opposite. The
age Of physical culture was followed y, iili age
Of mental prodigie4. Though spencer very
properly advocates sel1-dcpendence and con-
denn- rote teaching and rule teaching 1s pre-
ductve Of weak and impractcahle inteiI,ct
he seems very much in favor Of the hohl IL, III
the present day. spelling hy sound aah a.lapt-
ing instruction tu the natural inclination ci
pupils.
committing words to memory separate from
any mental emotion converts the human laliG
into Il machine. 1T Is the remembering Of
words conveying ideas or expressing he t;trt~
of nature, which cnobe> the huu,nl SOUL
Montague says: '''rU know hy heart i uot to
know OF ruIe-teachug Spencer saws: "Rp-
tween Il mind of rules and mind of prinr-
piles there exists difference such IL that be-
tween confused heap OF materials, ant the
same materials organized into Il cOluGt, /"
whole, with all its parts bound t0gt ttnrr" The
rulc-tWight youth is obliged to learn :; rule for
every separate case. while the youth instructed
in principles solves n new ease IL readily is ..I
Old one. Rules ar" valuable a> containing thn
result Of Investigation, bat he who accepts the
result OF unCthcrS labor las neither the en-
perience nor the vitality necessary to make
good use of the acquisition.
To illustrate the above, take the rule fur nul-
tiplying fraction by an mteger MultipN
the numerator Of the fraction hl the intr@rr
a more meaningless set Of word, could not De
presented 10 the young mind, but when he
knows the meaning of the names of the TERMS
the nature Of the fractional unit and its rta-
tion to the fraction, nearly every pupil will tell
YOU how to multiply fraction before he has
ever seen the rule. After the rule has been
formed by the pupil it i well to fin the words
in the memory. which is very easy task.
Spencer says that humanity has progressed
solely by >elf-inStructon, and that the best re-
suits are achieved after this fashion i, con-
tinually proved by the success of >elt-lna,ic
men. The process of self-development should
be encouraged TO its fullest extent. Pupils
should be told as little as possible and induccd
to discover rs much a> possible. Ny>e SAYS
the vital principle in the pursuit i to cu"our-
age the pupil rightly to instruct himself.
think Spemcer'S modicum Of understanding
needfu to teach spelling by using the powers
Of the letters instead Of their name> will he
rather complicated 50 long a. different letters
represent the same sound ana the same sound
is represented by different letters.
Spencer favor> the growing tendency Of the
age that any plan Of culture should hr judged
by the pleasure it eNcittS in the pEpiiS. The
principle that Il child'> intellectual instincts are
more trustworthy than our reas0ning>, pam
pers parental fontlne>s, but seems to forget that
man is by nature fallen creature. Mental
development requires labor Just ;,~ much as
physical Developments When the body is
healthy the appetite demands 10 be >,liated.
If the soul We're healthy it would crave know
ledge. When the child does not appreciate
those modes of culture approved hy the most
enlightened minds. | shouid conclude il WAS on
account of the unhealthy condition of the
child'S intellect, rather than the inaprropriate-
ness of the mode Of culture The natural III
eli of n ull,,r ,il
dren does not lead them to the highest attain
ments Of which the human mind is su>rcptiblc.
GEO. NJ. tnLI,
Monango, Oak, March Il. 1850