Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-10-18
THE OLD AND THE NEW EDUCATION.


The classics were the beginning Of
modern education; natural science has
been the contribution of recent times.
Both of these blended and focused on
life are to form NEW era in education.
that which in broad and liberal sense
may be called the economic. This term
may easily be misconstrued to mean a
narrow utilltarianism, restricted ply
steal aptitude and skill obtained by the
perpetual iteration of mindless exer-
cises. Such conception of the func-
ton of education is unworthy of the
times i'll which we live. Many teach
ers have long thought and still think
that a liberal education consists not in
mastering knowledge, but in develop
ing power through the medium of clas-
steal grammar and pure mathematics,
the idea being that if we can once de.
velop the power it may be applied, like
a mechanical force, to any desired end !;
velop masticating power by chewing
indiarubber, in order later to eat beef
steak! Reflection will show that this
supposed formal discipline of the mind
by two kinds of study is largely myth
cal, but that if properly directed they
are rather rich and concrete as far as
they go, being, however, restricted in
range. What is gained by this gram
NAUTICAL drill? A keen, discriminating
knowledge of the laws of thinking, and
the power to distinguish the most sub
tie phases of thought. Every page Of
the text abounds in concrete illustra-
tiOnS of the things the classicist is try
ing to learn. Any sentence may illus
trate the use of the dative case, or the
intricacieS of the Subjunctive mode,
and this process of illustration and
verification of the laws of language
goes OH day after day, month after
month, year after year Were natural
science half so persistent in the dis
covery and eXemplificatiOn of her laws,
she would have new triumphs to boast.
Latin and Greek may be concrete and
practical. Their seeming formality is
due to their psychological character.
That alone is formal and abstract
which is divorced from the purpose it
should serve. The same richness and
cOncreteneSS is found in pure mathe-
MATES, thousands of problems being
solved to eXemplify Il few rules. This
explains to us the admirable results of
classical training for those whose flu
tnre callings are largely interpretive
IN character, such as the preacher, the
teacher, the lawyer, the statesman and
even the physician. On the other hand
the psychological or subjective out
come of such an education explains the
instructive hostility that practical men
of the world have long manifested fol
this type of training. Instead of the
old maxim, discipline first and know
ledge afterward," we must adopt &
truer watchwOrd, discipline through
knowledge" The chief defect of TIT
old education is not that it is good fol
no parctical purpose, but that it is (
partial and one-sided preparation To-
so many callings in life. For the pro
fessional man or woman it may b.
economic in the true sense, since it ha
direct bearing on future occupations
for all but the learned professions
however, it may be subjective and csc
teric; it may leave the mind steepe
in the antiquated conceptions of by
gone ages, which taken as stages i
a progress would be valuable, bu
which as a substitute for the rulin
ideas of today bear the same relatiO
to developed truth that the child doe
to the man. In the words of the &c
man Emperor, this age needs youn
Germans, young Englishmen, youn
Americans, not young Greeks and r.
mans.
The truth is, as has been intimate'
the old education was for small elias
to whom concrete retrospective trail
ing was the best preparation for lif
But our problem is the education
all classes. The introduction of tt
natural sciences has immensely broa'
ened the scope of the usefulness {
modern education. But the concel
ton is new one that not only ca
science minister to the wants of a ne
class of our population, but that by til
proper adjustment of subject matte
and the employment of right method
of teaching, all minds can be traine
and at the same time prepared for tn
best possible success in their sewers
callings. The powers we have can
best trained through the knowlede
we most need; as in the binoculs
microscope, trained mind and acquire
knowledge are focused in the practic
activities of every calling in ife.-Pro
Charles De Garmo, in the Soci
Economist for October.