Show MORAL CULTURE f Beyond all doubt the point in which modern education is most deficient is its inability to inculcate true and lasting morality Of course we admit that the present systems do not directly promote morality and we fear that much of the I public as well as private instruction 1 given giyen is actually detrimental to morals This defect is not peculiar to educational institutions institutions institutions supported by the state But if education does not directly promote promote pro pro- mote ote morality it certainly does so in indirectly indirectly indirectly in- in directly and there is no reason why it should not become the very strongest factor in moral education so soon as the science of morals has been freed of the rubbish that that called called so-called moral teachers have dragged into it The one fatal error that has crept into all ethical teachings up to the present time it seems to us is the belief that there exists a natural and antagonism antagonism antagonism an an- between morality and worldly intelligence Of course this belief is our inheritance from the asceticism of the Christians and fostered as it has been by religious teachers in all times has yielded only to the natural growth of in in- From this belief has naturally sprung the kindred belief that every human being wh whether ther wise or foolish intelligent or possesses an in infallible infallible infallible in- in fallible monitor called a conscience which if he will listen to its dictates will keep him always in the path of truth Of course as a natural corollary of these errors errors errors er er- it is held that morality is independent t of intelligence When we remember that the soul and conscience the ego are one and able we yve see how irrational is the above view we see that conscience is subject to development is in fact a thing to be educated educated educated ed ed- and hence that moral culture is inseparable from intellectual culture It follows then that the highest morality cannot be attain attained d by those who remain ignorant and that if our schools can train minds at all they can train morals But what about the ho home e and the Concluded on Page ij MORAL CULTURE Concluded j church Have I these not always been recognized as the two great bulwarks against immorality Yes and in the first case so But while we would say God pity the boy or girl who must mist depend on a public school for moral training raining who has never known in childhood childhood childhood child child- hood the tender guardianship of mother and md home we hold still that this very home is often vitiated by the ignorance of parents nay is often itself a very hot-bed hot of vice We do not be- be children of such parents should be allowed in schools where children of refinement refinement refinement refine refine- ment ment and morality are taught unless it is seen spen that such children have not inherited their parents' parents vices But schools can be provided for such children where they can be brought under the influence of moral teachers and there appears to be beno beno ber r no other way in which the condition of such unfortunates can be improved Many of those who attack the public l school systems are unjust in their cism They forget that they are condemning condemning condemning con con- a system for not accomplishing in a few years what they and their systems systems systems with the support of all the thrones in Christendom have failed to effect in r centuries They forget also that education education tion is tasked with the removal of all the o a accumulated rubbish of all those centuries 0 all the meaningless symbols the false precepts precepts pre pre- the empty platitudes with which they have loaded the minds mind of struggling humanity a Modern science has shown that the development of the spiritual nature goes goeson on simultaneously with wit physical and in- in j JS c Sf Mi r growth instead of being a foice- foice directly opposed to these as our advisers have so long taught us by cation He Herbert Spencer has given us ai al science of morals which is fitted to alit alU classes lasses and creeds and what is better is is- fitted to our present needs and is calculated ed to immediate moral reformation We vVe make the assertion that conscience both in extent and quality is the result of education is in fact the very individual the product of ages of complex influences and is as much susceptible of further development development development de de- as any mental or even physical attribute of of- the individual Hence the perfection of the moral faculties must be carried on along the the- same line as the development of the so so- so called intellectual faculties must be fostered fostered fostered fos fos- with ith as much care and must be b I given as much freedom of act action on And Ancl hence also it is apparent that moral character cannot be developed by any amount of or of appeals to a a. supposed innate sense of i ight and nd wrong as as well appeal to a supposed innate sense of mathematical exactness for both alike are possessed by different individuals individuals- in different degrees If we admit that the tEe environ environment men t makes the character then we sh shall readily see that the only way in which we can promote moral development is by improving improving improving im im- proving the environment by surrounding the growing child with good influences N Next ext to that of the home the school has the most potent influence and as we have shown the influence of the home is apt to tobe tobe tobe be bad when parents are uneducated or wrongly educated Therefore whatever whatever- truly educates is the source of morality Whenever our schools come to be of such importance to us that we shall employ as teachers the brightest and purest men and women in the community then will they become true then will their in influence influence in in- flu fluence nce be felt throughout all grades of of- society and in future generations it need not be said that any home influence has has- need to be counteracted by public in in- in r o 0 f J. 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