PLATO And HITLER

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 142, 18 June 1938, Page 3 (Supplement)

PLATO And HITLER

PLATO elaborated a. Utopia. To-day Hitler has set up what he would have us believe to oe a Utopia, and I have been interested to note what he has learnt from the Greek master.

Rousseau said that the "Republic" was a treatise on education. A book on German Fascism is likewise largely a treatise on education for, no less than Plato, Ylitler has realised the prime importance of education.

Hitler is reported as saying that knowledge is of secondary Importance, and from this some deduce that he is not interested in education. No greater mistake could be made. The modern German State is built on education—education extending from the cradle to the grave. Some call it propaganda, but that is just a name for a biased education usually for adult consumption.

To me Plato's "Republic" has three essential attributes. First we have the .-tress upon the unity of the State and the importance of the common good. Secondly, we have a recognition of the inequality of men and their division into three classes—golden, silver and brass or iron. Thirdly, we have the emphasis upon education differentiated according to the class. All this is taken over byHitler. For him the governing class is

;i group apart, self-selected by its natural ability and qualified for its work by intensive education. Three special "Loader Schools" have been set up where 3000 picked men between the apes of 2."> and 30 are to be thoroughly schooled in all that makes a good Nazi. The

Nazi Scheme of Education

ByC. J. Adcock

beet available teachers In racial research, history, the history of art, philosophy, economic* and sociology, whose soundness in National Socialist dogma haa been tested by the Supervisor-General for Ideological Training, will supervise their training. They are to be given a special training in character, courage, <)uickneßS of decision and boldne«s of action. The means adopted will be sports, dangerous stunts such a« parachute jumping, alpine climbing, and the like. They must be "alim and strong, as fast as a greyhound, ps tough a« leather and a« hard as Krupp steel." As a result oi their training they will, like Plato's "Guardians," be fitted to rule the common people and instruct them as to what is for their good. They will not be able to gather wealth, but they will not have to worry about money matters. For the rest of their lives they will be from material worries. Plato's guiding principle was that nothing should be permitted in education which did not conduce to the promotion of virtue. Such is the Nazi view of education, except that virtue is defined in the terms of Nazi ideology. We are not surprised, therefore, to find the time devoted to intellectual subjects drastically cut down. Health is considered of prime importance, training in Nazi doctrine comes next, and finally attention is paid to knowledge, which is restricted to what will drive home the N'ordic viewpoint.

The rest of the course is on similar lines. Earlier history is taught in the same way. Dr. Fricke gives a 15-point programme for the guidance ol writers and teachers. He demands that tliey should teach:— (1) Role of prehistory in which is emphasised the high civilisation attained by ancestors of the Germanic race. (2) Role of the primitive race in which are prefigured all the great peoples and personalities of Germanic origin. (3) Role of the racist and national idea as opposed to the international ideal so perilous to the German people, too much inclined to dreams and Utopias. © © © And ao on through the other twelve pointa. Now history of thia kind need not be remembered. What is important U the attitude that is set up. It moulda an outlook on life, a world viewpoint and the facta (?) taught are mere scaffolding which can later be dispensed with. The Youth Leagues I have emphasised thi- a -lof (>'<■ r I man education, riot n~e of biassed nature (this is not a political article), but ix-causc it illustrate* an educational attitude which might with advantage be exploited in the interest.- , of higher ideals. Whatever wo .i.a.' | think of Nazi aims we must admit that j tJtrv are organising education with 'or j man thoroughness. They are not content with tiUin.i over the ordinary school pro-';i n"i, •• an.!, modifying it to their cm!-. bit b;i\e seized'upon all other educat ionil 1.i.-t I Prominent among the.»e are the "Hitler i Youth League" and the "League of German Girls." Membership tia* been optional, but highly desirable, but h later scheme envisages a KeH t Youth League, which shall include all (ierman , i-outh. The work of these leiiuues i - i somewhat after the pattern of the seoui j novement with a militarv bi,i*. Tin-. Vatioiuil \'o 11 1 li Ail in i n i -11 i. t ion ha- pie ;] mred a n:--.trial. "Uitli-1 %"•.11111 in Ser i ice." fill the Jljidallee nf i 11 ~ ( r i j i t .. r -. ' i I lie fl'VI part ile.ll- uilh |-ll \ - i i "it ' evil i iocs, and cali-theliic-, uutiiii' d m , ;

groat detail with norms for various »((• groups. The second half is concerned with m'litary activities, squad diill, field movements, scouting, camping, etc. For girls the military side is omitted and emphasis placed upon domestic duties. The German woman is to be not a soldier but a housewife. It is her place to care for the soldier, to breed soldiers and train them in tlie way they should go. She moulds the child at the most impressionable age. She will teach hini nursery rhymes such as: — What puffs ami patters? What clicks and clatter*? I know what, O what fnn! It's a lovely Gat ling gun. And !n perfect step the Relchswehr comet Along the avenue, With merry flfe and rolling drums. Come, we'll go inarching too. In thi« control of nursery rhymes and children's literature you will notice another hint taken from Plato, llato too wanted children's stories censored and even went so far as to construct tables to indoctrinate the common people. ©. © © What I like about all this German development is that for them the improvement of education does not consist merely in adding extra years, in tacking high school on to primary school, but they are prepared to make startling changes. A Year on the Land As an example of this we have the "Land \ear." This is compiilsorv for graduates of lower schools. These Ihildren, aged 14 to Iti. are taken to "rural homes" in groups of 00 to I.VI and under the supervision of carefully prepared leaders are trained in farm work. The morning is devoted to work and the afternoons spent in community training and sports. The goal is to' bind the

A Course in "History" I ]ie mode] course in modern history recommended by the "National Socialist Educator," will serve to illustrate this: — i n Subject Matter. Relation to Jews Rending Matter Proflu ar st?ike"! nUy 8 WaF ' The JeW at larse - Hauptmunn's "The Fr s^te A f';flonlp a t0 ,ndustrlal The peasant in the Descriptions of the State Colonies. clang of the Jews. Colonies from Hermann Lons. 3. Conspiracy against Germany. The Jhvp reigns. Beumelburir Barba"aSe ar ° UUd War " I,,ts - rage Life of uermaDj. Hii. >«l»ur B . Wartime letters. 4. Gorman struggle. Blockade. The Jew prospers. Manke: Espionage «tar\atlon. Proat from German at the Front. Want. War lUnnrl.

younger generation to the soil, to give a direct contact with primitive nature, to break down the artificiality of the city and indoctrinate him with the Nazi doctrine of "blood and soil" in a practical w-ay. Incidentally he ia further accustomed to military discipline. and farmers are supplied with cheap lubour. Might this not be a solution for our own farm labour problem, and an excellent means of nature study and character training? Too much intellectual work tends to make atudents shun manual toil. A2\ /f?v siA\

An extension of this "land year" is the "compulsory labour service'" which is obligatory on all voting <Jerruan>. It begins normally at the iiin<-t<->>iu !i \ i nland may be commenced earlier hut mutt, be completed lie fore t lu- < ■.>< of Hie twenty-ninth year. On i'- completion the men are subject to military training. The aims (ire tli recti >1(1I) supply universa 1 vocational (raining; (2) to promote universal defence duty; Cf) to t«'j»• ■)i all the duty «f work. 'I lie work includes draining, road making, fore-tiy work, etc., for the hoy*, and I lioii-c and farm work for the "ills A 1 t \ (ileal dav's programme may I" 1 of in | t i-ri'M : —<> to 7 a.m.: Kisii ly. early -\<-r : ci~en, wuHiiing. hed making ' '•••' n ! ing. breakfast. " «•»>••• , i:l 111 lllM ' flag parade, the da\ - Ta-U and -I'.-eeh. march to place of u.nl. -i\ lioui- of ayi iciilt lira I labour. ■• x of t.i minutes spent ■•n nu i i"" 1 ' halt hour lor 111<11 11111 lea -|■ ni I'cl iji ii from work Mi'!.|,i\ meni p r 11.: Ir«•.-» p« li* "I in I'l 'I I I' 111 ■ v p' 'I I or cleaning ||| I. | • HI.- Ii i I M ,.-truc tio'i. 'i I' tn I — 11111 i• I la-is-, in-true ti'.ll ; 'Il 'l ! /■' i i '■ I II" .111 ■ I lIIC|| <1111 ■ I'l ■11 'all. 7 I- m.: Supper - p in • s, n ._, IM'.'. oral a ; '.m iin- «» |.i |. hi : 1..» k Hi'.' up .iinl I.l'll. © © © 'J'hei e is much t.. ■■ i' i•: -■ ■ : n all flu-, 1 'iit we should l.e . ■! i,| n,,t tr, |„. . epelled by tln in, i , . Ir \ ~t j| , ( , pulsor\ doll:.' t;C •. M ;.-I' 'l . 111 M ell . 11l e t lie tu in a ! v;i ill ii-. - ~K e, p'i, - ~p . 1,,. - uppl v of i!.,in< -i i. la I ■■ i.i u ne], j_ ~ ~,. fully Inekiiir ii. \c ii Zealand a i pieseni a nil etistiriii:: tint run ■* iie f,, ■ r cari'.'l v. nil a I I-. I. 111'! ki,-,w led.-e of hoi i-. u i irk ain I 'iil.i ii t e,i ii 1 Wha I er i ■lie - > .pin 'II- <if lln ,i ] "f < .CI man el nr.. t ioi, I 1,.-I .■ I - 11, I :i i. " l„. learnt from if- t. ciiniuuc ,i ml I - t I hat a lilt!.- -i < ~ I \ ~| , | .. , u ,,| | "•pay the etfol' In' 1,1 1- ht «> 1 1 |• i ■.'' t In. a lid '.. lii- 11 ,i t ing :!iing-. we .-lioiihl certainly a\oid.