Smyrna times., 1939-11-02
The Place of Literature in the
Liberal Discipline
Glenn S. King


For the purposes of this discus
sion discipline may be taken as
meaning course of study the aim
of which is the inculcation of GER
tain skills in the appreciation of
life in the abstract and of life in
its broad social aspects. Liberal
shall mean free, as in the ancient
term liberales artes. or the arts
and studies becoming free man.
Literature shall be limited strictly
to works of those acknowledged
masters who have interpreted life
with such fidelity that they may be
said to appeal to all men, in all
places, in all ages.
Granting as we do that the in
tellectual and spiritual heritage Of
the ages is the birthright of every
freeborn man and woman, we, as
privileged teachers in a dmocracy,
must assume the burden of admin
istering that spiritual and intellec-
tual heritage in such a manner
that each heir may make full and
unrestricted use of Democracy's
treasure, that each may help to
preserve its full value, that each
may, through use, add to its rich
ness. Upon this all teachers who
enjoy the privileges Of Democracy
must stand agreed But it is pat
ent to the most casual observer
that the work of teaching depends
for its subject matter upon an
eclectic process, especially below
the college level. Upon what shall
be chosen as the studies beftting
the children of free men, there is
disagreement SO violent that the
fundamental issues are all but
clouded in the bitterness of the
wrangling between factions Of
teachers supported by factional
groups Of interested citizens. Let
US for the moment remember that
we are all honestly working for
the same purpose, toward the same
goal, the preservation Of democ-
racy. Let US put aside the heat of
argument for the dispassionate
consideration of the immediate
question, what is the place of lit
erature in the liberal discipline?
Those Of us who have had to
listen to disappointed parents COM
plain that John or Mary has had
four years of a liberal education
hII+ a 1nh rno1i0n tho+
the only criterion in the minds of
some is not how much education is
worth to young America IN terms
of character and intelligent vision,
but how much it is worth in dollars
and cents. Those parents, and
some educators, would deny me the
right to teach through literature
the visions that have moved men
through the ages toward right
thinking and true-living -shoemak-
er and president sharing alike in
the dignity of human life. Those
who would make the American
schools exclusively place in which
to learn how to make money,
would sell the national birthright
for a mess of pottage. / am not
so much interested in whether
John or Mary is going to become
a plumber, farmer, stenograph-
er, or college student, as 1 am
that each child shall be taught that
the indispensable quality of all hu-
man life is integrity. Without
that, any occupation lacks mean
ing. With integrity, any occupa-
tion may be used to achieve sue
cess in living a worthy life. To-
talitarian states are best preserved
by system of education which re-
duces all children to the level of
the slave-block by developing their
aptitudes for commercial exploita-
ton. Our Democracy is built upon
the cornerstone Of enlightened
minds. And literature is the chief
enlightener of the ages.
True it is that men have succeed
ed without a knowledge of the lib
eral arts. With some the success
has been real; with others it has
been the imaginary success of
wealth. Such success, or failure,
proves nothing. 1t is, for example,
also true that some men have sue
ceeded without religion. Who
would be so bold for that reason, to
deny the power of the Bible in the
creation of truly successful lives?
Some there are who would not
teach the classics because many of
our children do not like literature.
That many students do not like lit
erature, or any subject that re-
quires serious thought, is undeni-
ably true. Shall we for that rea-
son reserve for college men and
women those things which the
great minds of all time have
thought and felt about life? To
reduce this question still further
to an absurdity: Who would con-
denim religion merely because our
children, having been taught no re-
legion, had no taste for religious
Il