Show i oh IU 1 0 r uJ 0 j oJ 0 ti iI t I J THE GOAL OF HUMANITY t tr F r f I. I VJ i f. f 0 DELIVERED BY OSCAR W. W CARLSON OF THE NORMAL CLASS AT THE COMMENCEMENT COMMENCEMENT COM COM- EXERCISES IN THE SALT LAKE THEATER r The progress of humanity has been one constant evolution During During During Dur Dur- ing the long centuries of recorded history old structures of society gradually developed into new despotism slowly gave place to feudalism feudalism feudalism feuda feuda- and feudalism to democracy slavery has been replaced by citizenship a and d incessant warfare for conquest only has given way to the peaceful warfare of industry New organizations of society have havea a been continually adjusted to meet the ever changing needs What means all this What principle underlies this great evolution and to what goal is it all tending The goal of humanity is freedom Freedom comprehends the aim and direction of the progress of man and an understanding of the truth of and obedience to natures nature's laws In the heart of every man there is a desire to rise to positions of less dependence to be in all things thing his own master When denied power and opportunity for all this his lot is miserable He loves money because with it he can obtain greater freedom of thought and action Even the negro slave snatched moments when his nature could have free and unrestricted play The serfs of the middle ages had legends of their saints and martyrs their imaginative models of freedom and what is heaven but a vision of what the soul shall be unlimited by time and space free to expand to the utmost possibilities ties of its nature The development of 01 every reasonable side ide of the human being is the freedom men seek In the ideals of man we have evidences of his striving towards freedom They whom men most honor are not they whose natures are 1 blunted by hy hardship and oppression who seemingly give implicit obedience without question whose natures have realized but few possibilities pos pos- J but they who are kings of themselves and act in accordance t y with a free and unrestrained will guided by intelligence and righteousness Throughout all ages mankind has moved under two great ideals in V government one the the predominating the aristocratic ideal the other until recent centuries a glimmer of democracy a rule of society by itself Aristocracy needs no definition history is full of its types The f fundamental motive underlying is the selfish domination of the many by the few It lays down the principle that there are a few chosen rulers and that the people should give as though from destined place unquestionable obedience The motive of aristocracy is the same no matter under what phase or at what time Whenever any influence of great weight arose among the people aristocracy always captured it for its own interests No matter how good the creed how pure the belief they were made to FTP serve the governing power To obtain the ends of aristocracy selfishness selfish selfish- h- h S ness woold often masquerade in the garbs of purity To maintain complete domination several methods of governing the people were used namely mystery physical force isolation and and n V bribery Of these mystery was the most effective A knowledge of natures nature's laws was used to terrify the people into subjection Anathemas threatened threatened threat threat- ened him who should deny the self-constituted self aut authority of priests and rulers Astrology alchemy and the other so called occult a. a sciences were used to blind the ignorant and make them trem tremble ble before simple facts and that should have been used as means of education V A second method was force By it in various ways the people in dark and subservience This enforced enforced ent en en- t j were kept ignorance abject 4 forced ignorance was the result of the employment of power that has if one aim complete aim complete domination of the masses b by y a sma small 11 minority i The isolation of the people into classes too was a powerful instrument instrument instrument ment of of selfishness of These divisions were the cause of mistrust contempt hate and suspicion They prevented united action and consequently weakened the majority thus making domination possible The forms of isolation were many mallY but the effects were the same The lower classes were kept ignorant of their rights and possibilities contact contact contact con con- tact with other peoples an imperative necessity of mental expansion was impossible and consequently stagnation fixed ideas fixed government government government govern govern- ment were the result Closely connected with caste was class education By it society sN was held in stratifications thus continuing the bases for thrones The machinery of domination was so worked as to stifle reason and judgment t to suppress feeling of personal rights the children were held in separate classes and with prejudices instead of being filled with love for all mankind But But- regardless of the methods and machinery of oppression the 4 t human spirit struggled to become free Men slowly grew to have a i rr vague sense of inalienable rights to reach up towards the light In war in learning in inventions no matter how great the difficulties a few pertinacious persevering souls made their power and influence felt But all this was detrimental to the aristocratic domination so as a result the influence of such men was made to sustain the machinery machin machin- ery of despotism they despotism they bribed by money or by office Although these methods were used as powerful instruments of selfishness it would not be wholly true to say they were used with a conscious purpose and directed to a given end Many times they were imperative necessities and the best possible government for the J times But the human spirit moved on mans man's desire to become free to expand to the utmost possibilities of his nature gained unconquerable sway Before it the domination of the few little by little broke down f The shackles of aristocracy mystery force isolation and bribery were weakened and the people grappled for truth truth for for freedom The demands for education became so great as to overthrow the power of despotism despotism-a a larger proportion of the masses began to think and v. v reason for themselves And from among them arose men having a glimmer of their own rights some belief that they no matter how poor their condition were equal to the highest in the land If then freedom is the good of humanity it naturally follows as asa asa asa a question what is the best form of government and education for the r realization of the greatest number of possibilities of the human being It is that form which has naturally evolved from the great struggle of mankind that form orm which presents the best conditions for the r acquirement of freedom it is intelligent democracy Democracy is the shortest of resistance to human progress It is founded upon the principle that society can rule itself and that each member of society contributes to the good of all and receives from all that which all can give Democracy is the only form of government under which the methods of freedom can be fostered It raises no artificial barriers political or social between the individual and his goal It gives the liberty to become free and the essential means of gaining freedom this means is education Democracy is not always the best because its maintenance is and of the If dependent upon the intelligence competence people the masses are not properly educated self-government self will be ble But nevertheless democracy is that for which we are striving F N Now ow since democracy is the hope of the world and freedom the goal of humanity the aim and direction of education should should be to I bring the individual into right relation at as many points as possible with the world in which he lives and to place him in as full possession possession possession posses posses- sion as possible of the varied powers and capacities of nature It should be to produce men and women of clear intellect responsive heart and cultured will who make their business or profession the i means not merely of making a livelihood but of serving the moral interests of themselves and society Furthermore the aim of education education j j tion should be to train the mind cultivate the moral nature and deepen the love for goodness The common school it is where the beginning of life in reality and the foundation of character is laid It is here is-here here where the seeds of future success are sown That which children learn from each other in work or play though the work be drudgery is the highest ever learned It stands higher than subjects of learning than methods of teaching than the teacher himself The mingling fusing blending of ideas customs and even prejudices give power ver and make the public school a tremendous force for the up-building up of democracy Society and the perpetuity of republican institutions in the future V are dependent upon the education of the children of today It is f for forus forus r us and every succeeding succeeding generation generation to place those who come after on a a better footing than ourselves to give them a better start than we had If every generation faithfully gives its best to the following progress progress progress pro pro- gress will be continuous but if at any given moment we begin to trust to mere governmental machinery and external forms to sustain the moral meral life of society the result will be disastrous There is no life in these things What is wanted is a deepened popular consciousness conscious conscious- ness for certain place common-place moral principles principles principles-principles principles of r responsibility responsibility spon- spon love for truth love for humanity love for freedom In the inculcation of these lies the only safety of humanity in democracy and the public school where every child receives an education is the most effective agency in the maintenance of the rule of society by itself While the important work of developing the character of the child as an individual is necessarily the function of the family and church the school is given a work supplementary to this and equally essential to our American order of society To the common school then we are to look in the future for the tr training ining of the vast majority of American Ameri Ameri- can children for a safe and enlightened citizenship The success of democracy is dependent upon the success of the c common common school Freedom the Freedom the greatest elevation and expansion of the human being is the aim nature has at heart the end to which all individual effort should be directed Mans Man's desires his ideal and his great struggle through all a ages es reveal the persistent tendency towards this end Then it is for us through education to make possible the acquirement of the aim and end of humanity This can be done only when a true democracy is established and anchored in a trained intelligence intelligence intel intel- and a sensitive morality when the f. f common school is made a home and a heaven for the child t j. j t I c f |