Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1892-04-02

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EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
Comparison Of Ancient and Modern
Educational Thought.
miss L a. FROSTY
The question is asked by many, swhy
study ancient educational thought as it
is 80 impracticableY and I would answer,
practicable or impracticable thought
rules the world" and no one can under
stand the educational thought Of to-day
who is entirely ignorant of ancient edu-
cational thought and thinkers. It is
fact whether we are ready to admit it or
not that all correct educative forces are
the same in all ages.
Beginning With the primitive nations
Of the East We find their education had
these characteristics: The priests were
the only educators, as they were the only
men of learning. The knowledge COM
mnnicated was religious and ethical and
the final purpose Of instruction was good
conduct. The learner was debarred from
free inquiry. In this age we find little to
compare with modern educational
thought. But passing on to education
among the Greeks, we find the foundation
underlying their system of education to
be the same as it is to-day, and always
will be. but the superstructure differs
as widely as the age of the world low and
then. Compare says: The education
of which Plato and Aristotle dreamed
was restricted to small minority. and
was even,made possible only because the
majority was excluded from it. Yet in
studying those high ideals of Plato and
Aristotle We find our own systems pictur-
ed and find that educational thought Of
to-day is what past ideals have made it.
We might ask why those ideals are to be
respected, and an answer might be to the
effect that all great ideals should be
studied and respected, because people try
to reach those ideals by proper living.
The characteristics of Greek education
we're that the physical, intellectual and
moral sense must be systematically
trained, and trained equally. The final
aim was life of contemplation, and
knowledge was valued chiefly as the
means of attaining moral excellence.
Socrates taught that no science could be
taught, only drawn out, and We find that
the highest work of teacher was to
liberate the thought which had been
formed by the active energies Of the
pupils own mind. The reason, imagination
and emotions were highly cultivated by
the Greeks. Aesthetic was not only an
end in itself but was regarded as the basis
of moral and religious culture.
To-day the highest work of the teacher
is character building, and the means en-
ployed amount to pretty much the same
as in ancient times.
Montaigne says that the end Of educa-
ton is not to fill the head with mass of
knowledge, but to form the understanding
and the heart; not to burden the memory
of the student but to make him better
and more intelligent. We find that this
thought is carried out in ancient educa-
ton as well as to-day. One point stands
out most prominently; modern education
says: The scholar must be able to con-
slider and to employ what he has learned
in a hundred different ways. Modern
thought makes the most important object
of education independence. In this
thought we far excel the ancient. But
the almost supreme indifference with
which We treat physical culture scores a
laurel for ancient education, for physical
culture was not entirely ignored at
Athens and the greatest stress was
laid upon it at Sparta.
A most excellent thing We find in
modern education and not in the ancient,
and that is the position and education of
woman, and, too, ancient education was
designed for the richer class, while to-
day it is for all nations.
The following quotation from Quintil-
ian might show us how closely
ancient and modern educational thinkers
resemble and how nearly the same
foundation underlies all true educational
thought: "In the earliest education OF
the boy, his future destination should be
had in view"
Much depends upon the education.
Its object is to make, of the child, good
man. Every father, cherishing the
earliest hopes, from the very beginning,
should, himself, undertake the education
Of his son, and for this, therefore, he
ought to possess all the necessary attain
ments. By imitation children acquire
good and evil habits. Even for element
ary instruction the most skillful teachers
ought to be selected.