Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-10-14
THE SEASON OF SCHOOLS.
Why knowledge is Always a
Source of Pleasure as
Well as Power.
EDUCATION OF TO-DAY
Influence of Intellectual Success
and Culture on the Mind
and Body.
Historical Scholars and Educators
Success of Jesuit School Masters
The Teacher Should be the Friend
Good Reading For Pupil and

Apropos to the new education and
the public school season, the writer
hereof wishes to register a public pro-
test against the emphasis ordinarily
given TO the doctrine knowledge is
power" and to make an argument for
the doctrine, knowledge is pleasure"
This argument Is the outcome Of an
exhaustive study OF the literature of
the subject and of protracted personal
And professional observation, and is
made In full confidence that in the evo-
luton of the new education, the Bacon
ian axiom, knowledge is power"
which has long been the motto of the
party, will ultimately be relegated to
deserved obscurity and its place as a
motto be given to the axiom, '.knowl-
edge is pleasure.
During the past two centuries count
less millions of children have written
Knowledge is power many millions
of times without any adequate concep-
ton whatever Of that sbewjtching
phantom knowledge" And while their
conception of power was much more
acute than their conception of knowl-
edge, 1t was no more to the purpose
for general speaking, their idea of pow
er was that acquired when the, teacher
employed physical power, or force, as a
means of driving in knowledge.
Under these circumstances, is it any
wonder that much of what passed for
education went into one ear and out
of the other, without leaving any other
impression than mental disgust for
further education.
OF Bacon, the author of the famous
epigram knowledge is power" the
poet Pope wrote: HE was the wisest,
brightest. meanest of mankind" Care
fully read Bacon's life and You will
readily understand that the expression
knowledge is power was very nat.
ural one for him. Spencer's remark
that moral precepts are largely the sell
fish maxims expressive of the will of
the ruling forces in society, those who
have health, wealth, knowledge and
power, and are designed for their pro-
lection and the maintenance of their
power. would seem to apply directly to
Bacon's axiom, knowledge is power"
Although numerous writer's, histori-
cal and contemporary, have directly
and indirectly and frequently, at regu-
lar intervals. and in desultory fash
ion, for over 1000 years. referred to
the idea that knowledge is pleasure
that idea has never become an educa-
tional axiom. The idea has never yet
acquired the prominence its promise OF
usefulness would seem to warrant.
Among the historical scholars and
writers whose works strongly confirm
the idea that knowledge is pleasure, we
quote Plato, who was the author or
the first systematic treatise on educa-
ton and who therein insisted upon the
beautiful and the good Each precept
of which Socrates delivered himself
was recommended on the ground that
obedience to it would promote the
pleasure, the comfort, the advancement
ami the well-being of the individual.
TO make those happy who are undergo
ing an education was u favorite pre-
cept with Locke.