The Detroit times., 1911-11-03

spends his time either in devising
schemes 10 undermine his superior or
in sulkinY because his own uneNcelleu
Talents are not recognized.
The Fundamental Difference.
Reputation is often mistaken for
character, but there is fundamentai
difference You have frequently ns-
tened to a man and felt that there was
something better and. finer In him thhn
what lie said. something about MN
that made YOU better and stronger TOT
having known him. That something
ia what we call character. on the other
hand. YOU have doubtless met "A man
WHO was self-centered; VINO Woui1
prefer 10 see good measure ldll ~
lie did not receive full credit Tor lls
accomplishment; who always used his
companions. never served them, VINO
whenever possible. brought hlhsttl
prominently before the public by con-
spicuously advertising In newspapers
and elsewhere everything that lie has
done and everything that he ihlhks
that he can make the people beheNe
that he has done. This sort OF man
may, and frequently does. acquire
reI utaticn OF being great man. put
he does not possess character.
IL Is difticult TO overestlmate the IN
fluence and power that lie In the hahus
OF q teacher in shaping the hNes Oh
Young people so II is important that
the teacher should possess In large
degree the elements that go TO make
up the ideal man or woman. Ihe WHole
work OF thc teacher IL by no means
10 be identified with instruction. The
personal influence Of the teacher on
young people IL OF vast Importance, tai
more important than most OF us real
ize This influence is effective not so
much from what teacher may say OF
do. but from what he really -. IL rs
character and integrity In the teacher
thar help TO build chara2ter and lnteg-
rity in the pupil, There can be no
49, ak.aV Nnftf In
out the foundation OF integrity. Many
teachers think that talking is teaching
and that talking VIII build character.
But talking is not teaching and talk
Ing will not build character; IL
actual contact with character, built on
the strong foundation OF integrity. that
builds character. \ colored minister
once told hts congregation tnat ne
could talk more good In minute thsn
he could do I'm a year. and that as he
was going TO preach for an hour he
could keep the most OF them busy
being good for the rest of their lives,
II they lived UP 10 what he preached.
The fact, OF the case Is that the
nreached himself would probably be
Kent as busy as the members Of his
congregation. Talking has very little
effect on pupils. and the teacher, II ne
Is conscientious. will be kept very busy
trying 10 be as good as he breaches.
Confucius' Philosophy.
Confucius 20 revered among the
Chinese that an altar to- him az the
god of knowledge Is erected in every
school room taught that learning
without thought is labor lost; thouRht
without earning is dangerous. to see
what is right and not do IL Is want OF
courage; that friendship with the up
right, the sincere and with the man or
observation IN advantageous, wnlle
friendship with the man of bad habits.
with the insinuating and the glib
tongued is injurious. lie also taught
that knowledge consisted In holding 10
n thing when you know II. and In
frankly confessing ignorance when
you do not know thing. Confuclus
had az his ideal practical morality.
Principles and maNims TO him were
worthless unless carried into effect. d.
Platos ideal was TO educate his fel-
low citizens, each according 10 his own
capacity. With him, education was
lifelong process. beginning in child
hood and continuing till II eliminated
I'm n perfect knowledge OF philosophy.
Plato's doctrine OF education may be
summed up as follows: Education is
continuous and vital process: IL cannot
he separated from the general life or
the community and il must he inspired
by love OF knowledge for the sake
OF knowledge.
Aristotle laid great stress on moral
education, emphasizing the formation
OF correct moral habits in early life.
Unlike Plato. he taught that education
should be common and the same for
all Aristotle excluded from his doc
trine OF education everything or utili-
tartan character. His sole purpose was
the elevation OF the mind by studies or
a purely intellectual type. Indeed. this
was quite characteristic Of the Greeks
as q nation. They despised the prac-
tical and devoted Themselves TO the
inte llectual
should study Greek Ideals.
In this country. whore everything
tends toward technical and vocational
- l... Il..1 Nt..s.I
cation. we might do well to study the
Greek ideals or education. Is II desir-
able for the children OF the slums. OF
the laborinR classes, or for any child
who must finally earn his own living
by actual labor TO have any contact
with the higher sides of education.
with history. literature, science, phil
osophy etc This question might be
answered by asking another: Can there
be any education that Is fruitful and
alive unless IL is inspired by love OF
knowledge for the sake of knowledge?
Is not the success that comes from the
nractical education that makes n man
simply a successful wage-earner dearly
purchased. II it liz gained at the price
81 an empty head? A trained mind is
surely as valuable as a skillful hand.
The real criticism TO pass on the Greek
education Is that IL developed pure
aristocracy az the intellect The ancient
Greeks were eminent in literature, art.
science. mathematics and philosophy.
But while some OF tne bfeekS OF TO-
day are descendants OF the ancient
Athenians and Spartans. the Greek
standards and ideals Of culture and
conduct died two thousand wears ago
because their educational system failed
TO perpetuate and unity the national
traits and characteristics that had
made Greece the great nation OF an
tiduity
Everyday Life Education.
OF all OF the educational problems
that have confronted the American
public the most important is the prob
lem OF making education bear more IL
rectly on the work OF everyday life.
We hear the criticism everywhere that
education today does not prepare for
the needs or the average cftIZen. Fer-
haps the criticism Is largely justified
Of the public school 10 train young
professions by means Of which they
can make n living Certainly, we viii
all agree without discussion that man
ual training and domestic science
should be taught In all schools. that
agriculture should be taught In at
least all rural schools. and that there
are other lines Of technical and voca-
tional training that are worthy Of sew
tOus attention. However. the general
problem that confronts the teacher OF
f-'4blte-sc+rouf ~ TO train ufIH
young people that they viii acquire
efhciency-power 20 do things. The
VHOtCt OF subjects Is not 40 important
as ~ the training in me thods Of work
ing and thinking that may he applied
10 the working out Of problems aud