The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-09-11
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s Spencer On State Education
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will take the trouble to read history
attentively.
| Mr.. Spencer further attempts to give
validity to his theory that intellectual
culture intensifies the emotional life.
We do not doubt that many will hold
Mr.. Spencer's argument unassailable.
But does everyday experience teach us
that the uncultured have greater con-
troll over their emotions than have the
cultured? Is it not rather fact that
intellectual culture aids man to control
his emotions? In emergencies, in
dangers, in the presence of the un-
known, or in unforeseen occurrences
whatsoever, is it, the established rule
that the uncultured are the coolest
and the less swayed by emotions 7
Emotions and sensations are the DOM
inant factors in the life of the savage.
The remoteness of man from the saw
age state may be measured by the IA
cility he has acquired of subduing his
emotions, and by his aptness to make
reason the dominant factor of his life.
And if this is true then it follows that,
other things being equal, in proportion
as man rises in intellectual culture will
he be able to control his emotions.
The concluding sentences of Mr..
Spencer's chapter on state education
read as follows: "One further fact
may be emphasized. If supply and
demand are allowed free play in the
intellectual sphere as in the economic
sphere, and no hindrance is put in the
way Of the naturally superior, educa-
tion must have an effect widely differ
ent from that described conduce
to social stability as we'll as to other
benefits. For if those of the lower
ranks are left to get culture for their
children as best they may, just as they
are left to get food and clothing for
them, it must follow that the children
of the superior will be advantaged:
the thrifty parents, the energetic, aud
those with high sense of responsible
ity, will buy education for their chill
dren to greater extent than will the
/ improvident and the idle. And if char
acter is inherited, then the average re-
suit must be that the children of the
superior will prosper and increase more
than the children of the inferior.
There will be a multiplication of the
fittest instead of multiplication of
the unfttest."
To consider education as an article
of merchandise the value of which fiuc-
tuates in accordance with greater or
lesser demand for it, is to take a sin
gular view of education. The chief
aim of education should be the devel-
oping of the mental and m oral faculties
NOT to supply demand real or i'm
aginary, but for the purpose of adding
to the sum total of human happiness
We fail to see how state education puts
hindrances in the way of the naturally
superior; it rather seems that it aids
them to overcome such hindrances as
may exist. Mr.. Spencer seems to take
it for granted that the naturally supe-
rior are those who are able to buy the
most education for their children. But
because one man-who may be fool
or a villains able to earn ten dollars
a day; and another mal-whO may be a
philosopher and saints able to earn
only two dollars day; does it neces-
sarily follow that the first is the natural
ly superior of the two? By no means!
The mere ability to "make money"
cannot be interpreted as meaning nat
ural superiority. There are thousands
in England and America, not to men,
tion other countries, who, when COM
pared with Mr. Spencer from a mental
and moral point of view dwindle into
mere points, almost invisible to the
naked eye. while Mr.. Spencer's form
assumes the proportions of a giant; yet,
in the race for wealth these same men
SO far outclass Mr.. Spencer as to leave
him hopelessly in the rear. Further
more, thrift, and energy, and Q high