The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-12-16

, numerous observations on mental Iii
and behaviour and secondly u
erystallization Of similar observation
on mans relations with his fello
men. Three sciences, psychology, 81
ciology and the new education; wit
the new education the logical out
growth Of the other twol
fifty years ago, psychology as
science shared equal honors wit
palmistry, prenology, mysticism, oc
cultism, and crystal gazing. Intelli
gent people gave it the wink To-da,
psychology is recognized as study o
equal Importance to physics, chemis
try and astronomy. II is finding ap
plications in medicine, law, business
the ministry, and wherever one has t,
deal with human behaviour. 1t ha'
revolutionized education.
One hundred years ago, sociology as
a science was unknown. There was nc
need for such science as our social
system was extremely simple. Wher
man clears a plot of ground and
plants it to corn, grinds the corn into
meal, and consumes the pone, there is
no social problem. 1t is only when
there arises Il class of people whose
occupation it is to clip coupons and
another class whose occupation it is TO
toll in the treadmill of wage slavery
that social problems arise.
The first consideration that surges
to the front in formulating any system
Of education is, what are we going
to educate for? What is to be the
aim of our effort ?" This is a vital
question and until it is satisfactorily
answered, no real progress can be
made. 1t is evident that system of
education whose end it would be to
train up Princes for Machiavellian dy-
nasties, would be entirely inappropri-
ate for training men to citizenship in
a democracy. Before we can intelli-
gently define the aim of our new edu-
cation it is necessary to first consider
what have been some of the educa
tional aims of the past.
If you will go back with me to the
history of Greece and Rome, you will
recall that the education of that time
was to produce citizens who should be
fitted to serve as guardians to the
state. But Plato's Republic was in
reality intended to be an aristocraey.
No provision at all was made for the
education of the large part of the pop
ulation, the slaves, whose function it
was to do the menial tasks in the
state.
In the Middle Ages, education was
for the Church. The Church was the
great torch which carried the light of
human knowledge through the dark
ages. Outside the church all was in
shadow and ignorance.
OF the moderns, England perhaps
more than any other country has pre-
served this education of the best. The
great schools of Eton and Rugby pro-
vided education for the sons of gentle
men, but the great body Of tradesmen
and artisans has to this day been kept
in condition of ignorance to be eqal
led nowhere on the continent France,
recovering from the convulsions of the
and remembering the
teachings Of her philosopher Rousseau,
and Germany, under the leadership of
Prussia, have begun to feel for the
common man and develop something
really tangible towards universal edu-
cation.
America, the new born Republic,
borrowed directly from the mother
country, her idea of education for the
culture of the well-to-do The first
schools TO be established in this coun-
try were the Latin grammar schools,
and TO these were sent the sons Of the
best families that they might cultivate
the language Of Greece and Rome.
The Latin grammar schools after a
time came TO be superseded by the
but still no step was taken
toward the advancement Of universal
education. 1t was only with the adj
vent of the modern high school that
people began TO realize that the son of
John Jones, the wheelwright, has as
much right to liberal education as
the sons Of the first families.
The aim of the new education is
clearly not cultural and aristocratic,
neither is it wholly bread-and-butter
aim. 1t is not civic in the sense that
the aim Of the Prussian education is
civic Its object is best defined by the
phrase, "social efficiency" The pur-
pose Of our schools of tomorrow is
TO give to every dweller on our soil
a training that will enable him to meet
fully equipped all of the problems of
our complex social life. The aim in