The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-17

which distinguishes it. Life we willingly
| concede is the one marvellous phenom-
| enOn of this world.
Let life be traced from the proto-
| plasmic cell through it's differentiation
into muscle, bone and organ up to the
perfect being itself, then say what else
IS wonderful. Notice, too, that the en-
ergy of life within appears to do all the
work, and that nothing can be done
from the outside except to supply APP
propriate conditions.
Within the tiny apple seed there exist
| the germs of a mighty tree. Supply the
needed moisture, soil and faat and the
vital energy within begins to stir, and it
ceases not until it realizes itself in the
perfect tree. So within the child are all
the possibilities of the future man. Not
a single capability can be added. The
current of life may be changed or modi-
fed by supplying or withholding the
appropriate conditions for growth, but
life itself determines what it shall re-
ceive and what it shall become.
Life has been named IAN inner, con-
SciouS striving to realize possibilities -
We cannot hope to comprehend it, but
we have discovered that it's accompani-
ment, growth, depends upon self-activ-
ity, hence we have this law, All growth
is conditioned by seif-activity" Upon
oped through its own vital energy, all
definitions of education should depend
and to this principle we must look for
the unification of the many views
stated.
The word education is derived from
the Latin word educaFe, which means
to lead forth, or to develop. Another
Latin word closely related to the above
is educere, which signifies to draw out,
70. a. 10 H.
that the leading idea in education is
eduction or development, and since life
is evolved through it's own activity, the
following would seem to be d suitable
definition: Education is the life process
which seeks through self-activity to
realize its possibilities. This makes the
distinctive idea depend on the activity
of life. 1t seems difficult to escape this
conclusion, and, if correct, those defini-
tons which exclude this principle must
be considered inadequate.
But life cannot exist without suitable
exterior conditions, and these must be
supplied continuously, and while these
are subordinate in Importance to life.
yet any definition that omits outside in
ffuenceS cannot be accepted as COM
plete This is an attempt to unite the
two phases: Education is a result of
internal action and external influences
upon the individual directing his life
through self-activity towards the real
iZation of its possibilities.
Life manifests itself in two related
aspects-one physical, the other spirit
ual
Educational aims must therefore be
directed to these two worthy purposes.
One seeks mans physical freedom,
the other his spiritual worthiness."
All the statements of the purposes of
education quoted by this paper may be
related to one or the other of these pur-
poses.
1t has been said that each nation puts
into it's educational thought what is up
perpost in it's life" Our young nation
is struggling to subdue and utilize for
it's necessities it's physical environ
ments," hence the unitarian view of
education is uppermost in it's thoughts
This is a worthy purpose, and if spir-
itual welfare were not subordinate to
this idea no objection could be made to
it, nor to those definitions which men,
ton the attainment Of physical good as
phase of education. But the spiritual
must ever be superior to the physical
Tomplxins says: IF the needs of the
soul be administered unto, the utilita-
rian ends of life Will se much more
surely realized than if the latter be
sought directly. What is popularity
known as practical education IS the
most impracticable. Power to think, to
adjust the mind to the realities in the
world, to reach true conclusions from
carefully Disseminated data; strongly
developed and refined sensibilities, and
an ethical nature fully aroused. these
are in the line of truly practical edu-
cation"
There is no real antagonism between
the utilitarian and the culture views of
both are essential, and they
should exist in harmony.
Life therefore, with it's needs and
purposes appears to be the unifying
principle of education.