WHAT KNOWLEDGE IS OF MOST WORTH?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5938, 19 February 1881, Page 1 (Supplement)

WHAT KNOWLEDGE IS OF MOST WORTH?

Suoh ia the pregnant and weighty question with which Mr Herbarfc Spencer sets out on his inquiry into the best method of education, and. to answering it he devotes nearly a third of hla invaluable essay, the remaining portions being somewhat equally divided between intellectual, moral, and. physical education. Starting with the remark that, in order of time, decoration precedes dress, he points out that among mental as among bodily acquisitions the ornamental oomers before the üßefal, and that in most curricula (especially, but by no means solely, in girls' education} the consideration is, not what knowledge is of most real worth, but whit will bring most applause, honour, respect—what will most conduce to social position and influence— what will be most imposing. The question which he contends of such transcendent importance is, not whetbar any branoh of knowledge is of worth, but what is its relative worth ? To this end, a measure of value is requisite, and this la found In the degree in which any educational oourje prepares us for complete living, i c., for using all our faoulties to the greatest advantage of ourselves and others.

Our first step mußt obviously be to classify, in the order of their importance, the leading kinds of activity which constitute human life. They may naturally be arranged into—(l) Those activities which directly minister to Belt-preser-vation ; (2) Those activities which, by securing the necessaries of life, indirectly minister to self-preservation; (3) Those activities which have for their end the rearing and discipline of offspring; (4) Those activities which are involved in tne maintenance of proper social and political relations; (5) Those miscellaneous activities which fill up the leisure part of life, devoted to the gratification of the tastes and feelings.

The ideal education naturally implies com plefce preparation In all these divisions ; and hence our aim should be to maintain a due proportion between the degrees of preparation in each, bo that for the average man (or woman) the desideratum is a training that approaches nearest to perfection in the things which moat subEerve complete living, and falls more and more below perfection in the things that have more and ru ire remote bearing* on complete living. Mr Spencer then classfies knowledge into three grades— (1) of intrinsic value, suoh as the truths of science, which will bear upon human con duct 10,000 years hence as they do now; (2) of quasi-intrinsic value, such as the extra knowledga of our own language given by &n acquaintance with the clis-iics ; (3) of conventional value, suoh as that kind of knowledge which in our schools usurps the name of history ; and ha then points out that acqu recent of every kind ha* two vatuas— viz ,aa knowledge and as discipline, under both of wtiioh it must be considered as a prepiratl n for complete living. Having laid down these premises, our author proceeds to argue therefrom in the most log'cal manner, and to point out the relative worth of various kinds of knowledge RjvirJiag to the classification of activities aivea üb*ve, be places in (1) the study of tbe principles of physiology ; in (2j (passing over logic) mathematics, mechanics, experimental physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, biology, and Booiology (the science of society); in (3) physiology and psychology ; in (4) hißtory properly taught; or, as our author prefers to call it. Descriptive Sociology, to comprehend which, biology and psychology are essential; and lastly, in (5) are placed asithetic culture, the fine arts, belle lettres, &c, respecting all of which we find the pregnant remark that, ''as they occupy the leisure p»rt of life, so should they occupy the leisure pari of education." To the question—What knowledge best fits for this remaining sphere of activity ? the unexpected bat true answer is given; that the higheit art of every kind ia

based, uponj science;"! that without science there can -neither be perfect production nor full appreciation; aud that not only ia science the handmaid to all forms of art and poetry, but that, rightly regarded, science is itself poetic. The next stage of the inquiry is the relative values of different kinds of knowledge for purposes of discipline. Mr Spencer commenced with an eloquent plea for the study of science over that of language, even on the ground usually claimed for the latter, viz,, the cultivation of the,memory; and .then points out its great superiority as a cultivator of .the judgment, deficiency in which is the most common intellectual fault. As one of my greatest heroes (for I am a hero-worsbippsr), Faraday, remarks, "society, speaking generally, is not only ignorant as _ regards education of the judgment, but it is also ignorant of its ignorance"; and he attributes this to want of scientific culture. Mr Sp9noer then goes on to point out the enormous value of science for moral as well as intellectual discipline, in the mental tone generated by its cultivation, producing rational independence, perseverance, and sincerity. Lastly, and most reveirently, does Mr Spencer maintain the superiority of the discipline of science over that o? ordinary education, beoause of the religious culture that it giyes, and points out that so far from science being irreligious, it is the neglect of science (i.e., the refusal to study the surrounding crea. tion) that is irreligious. Devotion to science is a tacit worship—a tacit recognition of worth in the things studied, and by implication in their cause. It alone can give us true conceptions of ourselves, and our relations to the mysteries of existence, and how utterly beyond not only human knowledge, but human conception, is the universal power of whioh Nature, and life, aud thought are manifestations.

Tn his history of the ! conflict between religion (or, as I prefer to call it, theology) and science, Dr Draper starts with the religious condition of the Greeks in the fourth century, b.c , and' points out how the military, engineering, and scientific activity, stimulated by their invasion of Persia, led to the establishment of the Museum at Alexandria :for the cultivation of kuowledge by experiment, observation, and mathematical diacuasion — i c : , the modern scientific method. Then follows a chapter well worthy of most oareful study, in which the rise of Christianity is traced, and the circumstances are detailed unler which it attained imperial power, making its union with Paganism a politioal necessity. A most striking contrast is drawn between tha simplicity of early Christianity, as described by Tertullian, and the Pagano-Christianity of the age of Constantino, or even, alas, of our own day. The issue of the struggle between Christianity and Paganism was an amalgamation of the principles of both. Hence the origin of the doctrines.of the Trinity, the worship of the Virgin (only that of Isis under another name), the pompons ritual the image and relic worship, canonisation (the Roman apothesis), transubstantiation, the worship of saints and angehs (the daemons of former times), and many other oeremonies. A clear conception by Imperial Christianity of its incompatibility with science caused it to suppress forcibly the schools of Alexandria.

-The first open struggle respecting the unity of God is then related, it involved the rise of Mahommedanism, the wrenching from Christendom of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Carthage; and was followed by the reatorition of science by the Saracen Empire in Persia, Syria, North Africa, Sicily, and Spain. Then came the rise and suppression of Averroism (the Indian doctrine of the emanation and absorption of the soul), succeeded immediately by the controversies as to the form, size, position, and relations of the earth, and the age and structure of the world, ia both of which the Church was overthrown. To Leonardo da Vinci, the great artist and the greater man of science, rather than to Lord Bacon, do we owe the renaissance of science. The fourth great conflict, known to us as the Rtformation, is then related, in which the contest was whether the criterion of truth was to be found in the Church or in the Bible; to which we may now add that for soieace it is tj be found in the revelations of Nature. Dr Draper then adds:

We are now in the midst of a controversy respecting the mode of government of the world, whether it be by incessant divine intervention, or by tha operation of primordial and unchangeable law. The intellectual movement of Christendom has reached that point which Arabißm had attained to in the 10 th and llth centuries; suid doctrines whioh were then crfecossed are presentibg tliemselras-agatu for "review. Such are tho3e of Evolution; Creation, Development. A.nd, for the a»ke of completeness, he concludes his book with ohapters on An examination of what Latin Christianity has done for modern civilisation. A. corresponding examination of what Science has done. The attitude of Roman Christianity in the impending conflict, as defined by the Vatican Council, Thus, to the question we set out with— What knowledge is of moat worth ? the uniform reply is, Science. This is the verdict on all connts, whether it be for purposes of dieolpline—intellectual, moral, or religiouu,—or for purposes of guidance in each and all of the various activities of life. "Necessary and eternal as are its truths, ali soieace concerns all mankind for a time. Equally at present, and ia the remotest future, must it be of incalculable importance for the regulation of their conduct, that men should understand the Bcience of life physical, mental, and social—and that they should understand all other soience as a key to the science of life."

For the detailed principles which ought to guide our educational methods, I must refar yoar re&devs to the essay itself, which, as I said before, ought to be in the possession of every parent. It may, however, be statad here that the key to them i 3 to be found in the phases self-development or oelf-evolution, and natural methods—i c, the following of Nature, in the order of development of the faoulties, and in her instinctive promptings. The natural methods of infancy, by which, under guidance, the child educates itself in the first months of its existence, should be extended to after years, and the boy or girl should be encouraged, by the cultivation of his or her powers of observation, to find out, i.e., to learn, for him or herself, in preference to being taught. Self-acquired knowledge is far more readily retained than information given by another. The particulars first, and then the generalisation?, is the new method, proved by experience to be the ! right one. "This is exemplified," remarks our author (p. 55 of the 2s 6d edition), "in the abandonment of that intensely stupid custom, the teaohing of grammar to children. As M. Marcel says, 'It may without hesitation be affirmed that grammar is not the stepping-stone, but the finishing instrument.'" Further, as was, we believe, first pointed out by M. Comte, tho genesis of knowledge in the human individual must follow the same course as the genesis of knowledge in the human race, and as humanity has progressed solely by salf-instruotion, tro ohildren should be told as little as possible, and induced to discover as much as possible a prooess which has the enormous advantage of rendering Instruction pleasurable instead of the reverse.

For sundry specific suggestions as to the practice of intellectual education, I must reter my readers to pp. 72 93 of Mr Spencer's work, and I would earnestly commend to their attention the succeeding chapter on Moral Education, the ' text' of which italicised by our author, is—

The subject which involves all other subjects, and therefore the Bubjsct in which education should culminate, is the theory and practioa of education. The last chapter, on Physical Education, is full of wise advice to pareats, and raay b? s*id to bo founded oa the remark that " the first requisite tj success in life is to be a good animal." Leas it should be feared, however, that Mr Spencer disparages the cultivation of litera'.ura and the fine arts, I will conclude by quoting hia opinion (pp. 33 34) that So far from regarding the training and gratincition of the tastes as unimportant, we behove that ia time to come they will occupy a much larger share of human life than now. Wai Lant Carpenter.

The Bishop of Liverpool, speaking at a recent baza%r, vigorously denounced the custom of raffles, as encouraging gambling, and hoped the time would speedily come when bazaars would be unnocesßiry, Christian people spontaneously subscribing the money which they knew was wanted in connection with their places of worship. In breaking up a lump of coal the other day a publican in Bridgewater was much surprised to sse a Bmall toad, about an inch and a half in length, hop away from it. On examining the piece of coal, a cavity was observed, in shapa very much like the toad itsalf, and in which it is presumed to have had its habitation—for how long no one oan I ttll,