Show Professor Stewarts Stewart's Lecture Below is an abstract of Professor I Stewarts Stewart's inter interesting sting lecture delivered last Tuesday evening before a l large rge audience audience audience audi audi- ence on II Ethics its Practical Application tion to Right Methods of Training He said in part The aim of every human being is happiness present enjoyment and future pleasure e. e That which is happ happiness n ss to 1 each ind individual depends upon heredity J education and present environment i iB i B Being i g a product of this world we have become more or J less ss adjusted to tto it arid and t d proportionately as that teat adjustment is harmonious and complete so is our happ happiness hap hap- p ness Ethics postulates an ideal harmony harmony harmony har har- mony toward which humanity must move to secure happiness ss In its str strictest strict strict- ct- ct est sense ethics is that science which d deals als with the relations of conduct to ideals both individual an and i God God un universal ver- ver sal SJ We must proceed in in ethics as in all scientific investigations on the basis of law or of fixed relations The law of cause and effect governs human vol volition tion thought and feeling as as if it governs the physical forces forces' of of the the universe The science c of f conduct ct connects on ts th the links links' of the the great great chain of cau causes es in human c conduct conduct con con- n-I n r duct as geology connects the successive changes which have led up to the present I forms of earths surface so to und understand understand under under- r- r stand the race today its history must be known and to understand the present thought and feeling of the individual we must connect them with those of the past The child comes into the world not a blank but a bundle of inborn tendencies tendencies tendencies ten ten- and capabilities inherited from his ancestors and the race He is thus partially adjusted to the world in which he finds himself and immediately begins to harmonize himself with his environ environ- ment Ethics is concerned with this voluntary adjustment to the ideal harmony harmony harmony har har- mony of the universe Every mind both individualizes and universalizes its ideals The fixed or universal ideal is God or the unity truth which is the same yesterday yesterday yester yester- day today and forever the indi individual dual ideal is constantly modified by experience experienc and knowledge varying in the direction of the universal ideal God Destroy the universal ideals and you ou destroy the objective objective ob ob- point in im existence lower the individual individual individual in in- ideals and effort is misdirected make them make them fixed and progress ceases The mind when free acts on the basis of its experience and an attempt to m make it act in a contrary manner by y ext external restraint tends t to to make ke stationary the ideals or lower them The great problem in ethics is is how can conditions J be made madeJ most favorable favorable- to the development of high ideals and and their realization in con con- duct sG Iq Economy is the highest expression of law in nature so the greatest greatest economy cono y tp tp man uman thought and feeling is is' is the highest expression of moral law The brilliant minds of today are engaged in economic and the accumulation accumulation accumulation lation of material wealth seems to be the aim of ou our age The eye ye of the public is fix fixed on the economic expenditure of of 1 io money nn and any 9 apparent PP t waste ft t is ismet s t met et s with tumultuous disapproval but but blinded L I by t the e appearance of things things' the g genuine waste of f human e energy ergy th the true true cause cause misdirected motives in individuals states and nations as determined by their ethical relations relations relations-is is scarcely thought thought of H How w easy to create a false sentiment an inordinate passion and spend all the energies of life in their gratification What do we not sacrifice to satisfy a amere a amere amere mere sentiment with no purpose higher than mere selfish pride What sorrows woes woe and heart aches result from bondage bondage bondage bond bond- age to some emotion or passion How many of us put forth energy to be of most benefit to ourselves and the world How easy it is to enslave the soul The body and mind are so intimately intimately intimately inti inti- connected that the excitation of the f fprmer is necessary to the activity of the latter and the immediate physical concomitant of the soul is the nervous system consequently whatever greatly stimulates tes nervous excitation occasions the most intense activity of thought feeling or emotion The way in which the body is treated determines in a large degree the morality morality morality mor mor- of the soul thus habit plays an important part in moral education The nervous system is the physical em embodiment embodiment bodi- bodi ment of the thought and and feeling of an ancestors ancestors an an- stor and th the instinct of the race in lin short hort it is the past of th the parent and the race transmitted to the child All feeling and emotion have an instinctive basis hasis in self self preservation and the awareness of self-interest self is awakened awakened awak awak- ened ned in the mind through ugh pleasure and pain which ma may be present in consciousness conscious conscious- n ness ss as occasioned ed directly by bodily excitation excitation excitation ex ex- citation or by images of the tion The environment is in harmony with the internal order when pleasure pleast re is awakened and sympathy is i the result when pain is awakened there is is' discord followed b by antipathy Sympathy may lead to love love lovel antip antipathy fhy t to hate We h here re reha ha have e the th the beginning r g of the die moral and and immoral feelings iri in f the 6 conflict of or motives lOi rs r i w which E concern p rn the interests of self and others While While sympathy awak awakens ens ens the desire desire- to 91 act act for others knowle knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- e edge ege ge must mist must determine the the means to the good end A necessary es condition for the expression J J of sympathy is freedom absence absence ab ab- sence sence from all ll e external t. t n restraint s raint Volt Voluntary Voluntary Vol Vol- t ry action js As conditioned is by hy two wo kinds of motives s first those which spring fr from the mind mind itself through a knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge of the effects of the acts upon selfa self a and C others others unrestrained e t d by a any y external will second those those determined by hy the will of another through the hope of reward reward reward re re- ward or the the- fear of p punishment The Theatter latter atter motive is immoral and the will f furnishing the occasion for such an an act may maybe ay be a party to the immorality Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Re Re- always accompanies freedom al and is a recognition of th the self sel as as cause in free ee action One of the highest moral incentives is that which leads I one to feel feela a a responsibility for the acts of others We V may give as the the four corner stones of of the h s science of ethics s sympathy knowledge freedom and responsibility Sympathy is probably the strongest in instinct instinct in- in st in the he t race and when directed to self as end it is is' pure seU selfishness when di directed ted to t the e world orld of off related objects it is pure knowledge wh when n directed to th the the good gORd of humanity it is pure morality and when directed to the unity ty of truth truth or God it is pure religion In its specific specific specific sense nse sym sympathy pathy is th that t feeling ng which includes others in the harmony of self self and it reaches its highest ideal when sel self interest interest is lost in the he universal sal interest of humanity with God Sympathy Sympathy Sympathy Sym Sym- pathy i i is th the basis basi of moral law a and d when guided by knowle knowledge with conditions conditions conditions condi condi- of freedom and responsibility results results results re re- re- re in the highest moral action The highest incentives to action must be those which appeal to the unity of truth in nature In n humanity and in God Those incentives which appeal directly to the ti self as end J check all moral g growth h. h J i i Mo Moral al training training is is' furnishing the m most favorable condl conditions lons for moral feeling and action to develop guided by the l' l moral laws before stated The whole question of moral tr training ining rests on the d development of ri right right- ht motive The child child is strictly a a social being being and and and one one one-of of the first lessons h he is to learn is to consider 1 his acts and feelings as related to those 1 of oth others rs M Moral ral training is largely a a a. i proper application of restraint which is J the great problem confronting the p par parent par par- r- r j ent and ent-and and teacher Restraint is an an appeal to instinctive passi passion n or emotion through pain or or pleasure 1 and it may be brought about by th the will of another or by environment environment environment without external volitional intent intent in in- tent The mind acts act's on the basis hasis of its experience and any attempt to to make it 1 act in a contrary manner by external re restraint restraint 1 results in deception one of ithe 1 common forms of immorality I give gi this rule Make conditions condition fa favorable for for- 1 right action by keeping the mind constantly constantly constantly con con- occupied with the the p pure re and the good The end and aim of all training is true character r the essence of which is i intelligent and sincere devotion to to high ideals I here I.-here here present positive and negative suggestions to guide in the moral training of children To young children I would give only positive 1 moral lessons r 11 I f i. i POSITIVE SUGGESTIONS i First First LeaH Lead children to to universalize all truth in God as the ideal harmony Second Through Second Through sympathy and direction direction tion help child children ren to constantly to-constantly develop J Jand and realize their moral ideas j Third Third Approbation Approbation and disapprobation a- a tion should be sympathetic expressions of the results of moral or immoral ac acts s. s Fourth Fourth All All expression should be sincere sincere sincere sin sin- cere conforming t to the childs child's thoughts and feelings Fifth Punishment Fifth Punishment and reward should come as natural natura I results of their acts ri r- r i Sixth Sixth Constantly Constantly surround children t i w with an atmosphere of cheerfulness Seventh Seventh Sacredness Sacredness of the body as ass well as sacredness of the soul is essential essential essential essen essen- to purity Eighth Lead Eighth Lead children to always act with consideration for others and cultivate cultivate vate a strong feeling of responsibility for forthe forthe the conduct of others Ninth Secure Ninth Secure right conduct by holding holding holding hold hold- ing up examples of good deeds and high ideals r Tenth Tenth Secure Secure free obedience through love confidence and the natural results of acts Eleventh Eleventh Eleventh-Be Be firm and uniform in the treatment of children 1 Twelfth Twelfth Keep Keep children constantly employed employ d and make their work and play both pleasant and profitable and idleness will never grow I I Thirteenth Thirteenth Proper Proper example by parents parents par par- par and associates is essential to moral growth 1 I 1 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE SuGG SUGGESTIONS STION f f t C First Never First Never represent the childs child's universal universal universal uni uni- versal ideal of truth or God as las a personality personality per per- who deals out reward and punishment punishment punishment pun pun- as bribes to good c conduct or as one who manifests the vindictive spirit of hate Second Second Never Never ever lower a childs child's ideals nor make them fixed by drill nor stimulate stimulate stIrn I them by hope of reward o or fear of punishment except as results of their acts Third Thir Third Beware Beware of forced obedience ence Fourth Fourth Avoid Avoid scolding shaming nagging nag nag- ging or speaking to children in lin a harsh or irritable stone tone of voice Fifth Fifth Seldom Seldom relate stories stories' which de- de tail bad conduct j r s Sixth Sixth Avoid Avoid constantly urging children children children chil chil- dren to be good for public or private approbation J Jt it 11 Seventh N Seventh Never ever crush the will of a a. child I N Never ever stimulate by by appealing to any of never dec deceive i Ve children yi lj i 1 l C n rl rf tt atI 2 N Ninth Ninth Avoid A void Avoid ci creating tintA a l love v for f I- I show a love alove love f r flattery latt r L M n 1 r I hI r l 0 Tenth Tenth Tenth-N Tenth Never Never ever encourage fa finding fault or hate towards others Eleventh Eleventh Avoid Eleventh Avoid don ts Twelfth Twelfth Parents Parents Parents' should not v vacillate ll ate j fl r in temper nor in requirements Thirteenth ThIrteenth Never Never reprove reprove or or punish co while under passion but at ataiti all times s be be rational J Fourteenth Seldom Fourteenth Seldom call calla call a child childs child's s 's attention at directly to his faults faults' 7 |