The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-06
CONSERVATION OF
INTELLECTUAL FORCE

Tho remarkable progress 81 the nine
teenth century was due % a wonderful de-
velopmont Of brain power. The continued
progress of the tfentieth century will
be due 10 continued development OF
intellectual force fra a sufficient NUM-
Der OF individuals 10 keep up the work
and keep forging ahead. Every one recog-
nizes the fsct that the great god Sue
cess. whom We worship, IS "A god Of force:
We no longer think Of a mere shadow
Industrial intellect" but OF a man OF
force This force Ia analogous TO any
OF the physical forces Intellectual force
viii become tho leading notion in a re-
constructed science OF economies 1t
VIII, no doubt lead 20 q revolution I'm
educational ideas and practices This is
my excuse for further considering this
force In another phase-its conservation
Intellectual force Is one Of the forces
oi nature operating through natural or
gans and subject 20 ali the laws gov
erning forces. It is therefore. subject
70 the limitations expressed in tho law OF
conservation Of energy This law or
doctrine. teaches Us that all force il
persistent and does not 90 out Of exist
ence. but only changes IFS forms Rut
conversely, no new force can be created
The affirmative statement OF the law
does not relieve the individual from the
responsibility for his intellectual force.
for II teaches him that this force. once
used, = gone forever, as far as the i'm
olNiouai IL concerned. The initial foroo
In each individual persists until used
ana when once used the original stock,
and Its possibilities, are. ia SO far. de-
pleted The intellect. like e,sry other
Iorce IN nature, Is confined within Ger
tain limits prescribed bv us sources
Inc value OF education lies almost en-
tlrely In It's conservation OF intellectual
forces not In any creation Of ouch energy
ihe problems OF education are as much
concerned with Conservation OF the forces
OF the mind as in their direction II is
safe 70 deduce. therefore. that generally
the intellectual forces should be draw,
along Ales OF least resistance. The proper
discipline OF the mind ia not in doing
disagreeable tasks bat in doing those
which give pleasure The studies 70 10
pursued are those which ara interesting.
The principal object ln the education
OF most minds Is 20 find some kind Of
intellectual work in which they can be-
come interested; for this is the linz u
least resistance, the line along which the
force can accomplish the most. That
the mind IS interested shows thar II fs
working easily and naturally
All men should not be made 70 work
at the same intellectual tasks any more
than on tho same manual trades Educa-
uonal work should be no more Uniform
than life work
The idea from which tha word o4,,-
cation IS derived presupposed that the
intellect was capable OF indefinite ex-
pansion. and the harder the task the
more perfect has 81 been considered as
a discipline But we must understand
education to mean the drawing out of e,
force which must be drawn ont without
ccntravening the law OF conservation OF
energy. and TO tie best ADVANTAGE OF
each particular Individual II the indi-
vidual needs 10 use HIS fore in making
his living. the problem is entirely differ
ent from case where the living a
supplied by inherited resources
The human race Is Yet very Young
The English race has Been FOurishiny
but about thirty-three generations. a
hundred generations takes US back to
the beginning % history. Most indi-
Niduals OF all races are in a very low
stage Of development. Intellectual force
is not vet a racial development and Is
not uniform IN its nature or manifesto
TONS II IS different IN each individual
and IS a rare and precious git OF nature
that must not be wasted
The most natural means OF education
consists n making the use OF brain power
haoitual. forming habits OF intellectual
activity. Mere persistence az mental
tasks viii not do this T. the tasks
are too lsborious and disagreeabIe the