The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1913-02-22
THE UNFOLDING OF AN INDIvID-
UAL.


UAL.
BY Madison jackson ESQ.,, at the Min
neapoIis Sunday Forum on
Feb. IS, 1918. ....
If you could take the brains of a
newborn babe in your hand and ex-
anime it, naturalists inform us, it
would appear as smooth as glass. 1t
is composed, they say, Of a vast num-
Der of smaller intelligences produc-
tive Of harmony in the aggregate. It
began with simple cell, which in
telligently, added unto itself; then,
through a process of division and
subdivision, also invoking intel
ligence, each subdivision playing the
part Of the original; grew until it be-
came large enough to be called a
brain with a mind.
Now there are two classes of phil
osophers in the world holding diverg-
ent views with reference to this mind.
One is called the monist; the other,
the duelist. The duelist is also
called a vitalist. His contention is
this: that the brain and mind are
separate and distinct, that the mind
Is of inner growth, whatever that
means, and in reality, is the vital
spark. The monist, on the other
hand, contends that the causes, pure
ly physical, which gave origin to
brain also gave birth to mind. He
reduces every thing in the universe
to one great law-substance. This
comprises two ideas, matter and
force. Give me matter and force,
shouts the monist, and I will show
you how to reconstruct the uni
verse. Dualism, may I remark, is
every form Of religion leading to
theism; while monism leads directly
to pantheism. To me it makes no
difference which one of these phil
osophies you accept, and as the entire
thinking world is divided into the
two you must accept one If you think
at all on these matters; they touch
at one point and there I shall be-
gin. 1t is here: that the power of
the mind results from action and re-
action on the part of the brain or
gan and the external world. Without
the union Of these two agencies man
kind Is human vegetation.
The three senses primarily active
in lifting mankind out of the veg
etable, is sight, hearing and touch.
Deprive a child of the use of these
three senses and its brain will ever
remain as smoothe as at birth. See
ing indents the brain, hearing indents
1t, and so with touch. Experience of
every kind indents 1t. So it is said
Of child that has an hundred play
things who touches upon an hundred
experiences daily, that it's brain has
ten times the indentation of that of
the child touching but ten; and other
things being equal, such a child has
ten times the knowledge.
But knowledge is not intelligence.
Neither is 1t education in it's truest
sense. knowledge can come from
any source whatever, good or bad,
and either case it will indent. Elk
perience is furnisher Of knowledge,
therefore knowledge Is an acquisition.
Education is an active process, and,
In its truest sense, springs out of
deliberation and careful plannings;
hence, that's an acquisition, but in
telligence is innate, and, was there
at birth.
A child, says Hills, is a bundle,
which God has packed up for man.
kind to unfold. The intellect is the
value within the fold. Hills says,
God packed it, placed 1t there. But
like the presentation of the method
as stated by Emerson, when he
likens the child to reservoir, that
receives the intellectual floods as
they stream down from ancestral
heights. Hills represents better the
same influence when he says it rep
resents Inheritance. Because when
he says, ut took seven generations Of
clergymen to make an Emerson, each
a milestone, pointing in the direc-
ton Of the coming philosopher. This
represents progression and inherit
ance preservative. knowledge, then,
indents the brain and strengthens It,
because Of such indentation; but,
that is not education, properly so
called. After while pains are taken
to make the child see and to bring
things actively to his mind. This is
the beginning of education; It is the
drawing out Of the human mind, the
embodiment, so to speak, Of the value
already thero .".