登陆注册
20005300000030

第30章

"In the hospital, the mine, the factory, in the architect's or the lawyer's office, the student, who makes a start while very young, goes through his apprenticeship, stage by stage, much as does with us a law clerk in his office, or an artist in his studio.Previously, and before making a practical beginning, he has had an opportunity of following some general and summary course of instruction, so as to have a framework ready prepared in which to store the observations he is shortly to make.

Furthermore he is able, as a rule, to avail himself of sundry technical courses which he can follow in his leisure hours, so as to co-ordinate step by step the daily experience he is gathering.

Under such a system the practical capabilities increase and develop of themselves in exact proportion to the faculties of the student, and in the direction requisite for his future task and the special work for which from now onwards he desires to fit himself.By this means in England or the United States a young man is quickly in a position to develop his capacity to the utmost.At twenty-five years of age, and much sooner if the material and the parts are there, he is not merely a useful performer, he is capable also of spontaneous enterprise; he is not only a part of a machine, but also a motor.In France, where the contrary system prevails--in France, which with each succeeding generation is falling more and more into line with China--the sum total of the wasted forces is enormous."The great philosopher arrives at the following conclusion with respect to the growing incongruity between our Latin system of education and the requirements of practical life:--"In the three stages of instruction, those of childhood, adolescence and youth, the theoretical and pedagogic preparation by books on the school benches has lengthened out and become overcharged in view of the examination, the degree, the diploma, and the certificate, and solely in this view, and by the worst methods, by the application of an unnatural and anti-social regime, by the excessive postponement of the practical apprenticeship, by our boarding-school system, by artificial training and mechanical cramming, by overwork, without thought for the time that is to follow, for the adult age and the functions of the man, without regard for the real world on which the young man will shortly be thrown, for the society in which we move and to which he must be adapted or be taught to resign himself in advance, for the struggle in which humanity is engaged, and in which to defend himself and to keep his footing he ought previously to have been equipped, armed, trained, and hardened.This indispensable equipment, this acquisition of more importance than any other, this sturdy common sense and nerve and will-power our schools do not procure the young Frenchman; on the contrary, far from qualifying him for his approaching and definite state, they disqualify him.In consequence, his entry into the world and his first steps in the field of action are most often merely a succession of painful falls, whose effect is that he long remains wounded and bruised, and sometimes disabled for life.The test is severe and dangerous.In the course of it the mental and moral equilibrium is affected, and runs the risk of not being re-established.Too sudden and complete disillusion has supervened.The deceptions have been too great, the disappointments too keen."[12]

[12] Taine, "Le Regime moderne," vol.ii., 1894.These pages are almost the last that Taine wrote.They resume admirably the results of the great philosopher's long experience.

Unfortunately they are in my opinion totally incomprehensible for such of our university professors who have not lived abroad.

Education is the only means at our disposal of influencing to some extent the mind of a nation, and it is profoundly saddening to have to think that there is scarcely any one in France who can arrive at understanding that our present system of teaching is a grave cause of rapid decadence, which instead of elevating our youth, lowers and perverts it.

A useful comparison may be made between Taine's pages and the observations on American education recently made by M.Paul Bourget in his excellent book, "Outre-Mer." He, too, after having noted that our education merely produces narrow-minded bourgeois, lacking in initiative and will-power, or anarchists--"those two equally harmful types of the civilised man, who degenerates into impotent platitude or insane destructiveness"--he too, I say, draws a comparison that cannot be the object of too much reflection between our French lycees (public schools), those factories of degeneration, and the American schools, which prepare a man admirably for life.The gulf existing between truly democratic nations and those who have democracy in their speeches, but in no wise in their thoughts, is clearly brought out in this comparison.

Have we digressed in what precedes from the psychology of crowds?

Assuredly not.If we desire to understand the ideas and beliefs that are germinating to-day in the masses, and will spring up to-morrow, it is necessary to know how the ground has been prepared.The instruction given the youth of a country allows of a knowledge of what that country will one day be.The education accorded the present generation justifies the most gloomy previsions.It is in part by instruction and education that the mind of the masses is improved or deteriorated.It was necessary in consequence to show how this mind has been fashioned by the system in vogue, and how the mass of the indifferent and the neutral has become progressively an army of the discontented ready to obey all the suggestions of utopians and rhetoricians.

It is in the schoolroom that socialists and anarchists are found nowadays, and that the way is being paved for the approaching period of decadence for the Latin peoples.

同类推荐
  • 大云经祈雨坛法

    大云经祈雨坛法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Black Beauty

    Black Beauty

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说北斗七星延命经

    佛说北斗七星延命经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • THE SONNETS

    THE SONNETS

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 虚堂和尚语录

    虚堂和尚语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 吹梦到边城

    吹梦到边城

    当代诗歌更是一种悲哀,伪民间色彩的诗歌就像种在水泥地板上的庄稼,一副呆相和死相。梨花体和羊羔体俗不可耐,将网络变成垃圾转运站,令真爱诗歌的人嗤之以鼻,如闻恶臭,如食腐鼠,避之唯恐不及。所幸的是,身在民间、真心诚意向民歌学习的大有人在,并未轻言放弃,他们收集民歌,整理民歌,也创作民歌风格的新诗。在这类民间身份鲜明的作者中,我认识湖南新化的亮毛,读了他的诗稿《吹梦到边城》,不免一赞而三叹,诵读如此纯民歌风味的新诗,简直比馋鬼发现一百个土菜极佳的农家乐还要畅怀惬意一千倍。
  • 云月吟

    云月吟

    他是被誉为“人中之龙”的南园主人,悠然出尘,雅如古琴;她是因他落下不治之症的遗孤,机灵古怪,反叛倔强。因为一个不可饶恕的错误,他断送了她的一生,愧疚,自责,心如止水的他给予她极致的宠爱,可面对她的痴心相付,他却一味选择逃避......她说,长弓,我喜欢你,我要一直陪着你;他说,丫头,那不叫喜欢,等你长大了,你会知道自己想要的是什么。当紧握着的手腕在松开的那一刹那,他终于明白,原来,早已习惯的拥有正在时间的细缝里悄悄流逝......
  • 邪王追妻:王妃你逃不掉的

    邪王追妻:王妃你逃不掉的

    她不想沾染爱情,却没想到却早已深陷其中."王妃,你是想回到你的世界还是继续留在这里。”
  • 魔法七星的勇者

    魔法七星的勇者

    七星的预言,玄奇的魔法,繁华的打斗,在这个世界不只有魔法和战斗,还有秘密。
  • 中庸做人的学问

    中庸做人的学问

    本书选择了一个独特角度,将“做人的学问”这样一篇“大文章”浓缩在寥寥数万字之内,并融进了看似耳熟能详的曾国藩经验,显得很从容、很妥帖。对于有向往、有梦想的青年来说,不失为一道营养丰富而味道淳厚的精神晚宴。尽管时下很多人喜欢谈论“潜规则”、其言下之意是,许多事情是不可言说的,但,有伟大人物说过,大道理永远管小道理,但大道理是可以摆在桌面上谈的,甚至可以谈得精彩,谈得客观,谈得到位。
  • 穿越火影之十尾喰种,绝对防御

    穿越火影之十尾喰种,绝对防御

    本书已由(作者名)草蕨之舞续更,审核请让我通过,不然又说要什么证据这就是证据。我是一个喰种,死后穿越火影成了大蛇丸众多实验品之一。我天真的以为,一切都有可能会改变,但是,就只因为……我太弱了!“你不是一个人,你还有我。接受我,我会让你变得更强!”第一次看见她,贪婪的,邪恶的模样。“就算全世界都伤害你,只有我,一定不会!”然那个说保护我的人却永远离开。“我想,我找到我存在的意义了……”她闭上眼,一脸的温柔,释怀……
  • 星辰Ⅲ

    星辰Ⅲ

    她本是古代人却机缘巧合下来到现代,结识了生命中的他,也捡了个便宜的妹妹。十三年的现代生活使她融入了现代的一切,也在不知不觉中和他结了仇。他的追杀,她们的逃亡。逃到她来时的地方,三个人一起回到属于她的朝代。他的一生为仇而活,报仇并未使他快乐,反而使他沦陷,沦陷在她的世界。她是他的仇人,也是他所爱的人,感情和仇恨折磨了他很久,就在他决定放弃仇恨时,她却杀了他的妹妹,他们的仇恨又开始了、、、、、、
  • 玄星在水

    玄星在水

    我是谁?呵呵,不知道。但我要在这个世界做我想做的,保护我该保护的人!战!
  • 紫天星神

    紫天星神

    万年之前,诸神之战,陨落无数天神千年之前,诸神消失,成为千古谜题现在,天魔乱舞,为了拯救天下,一代天命者横空出世,跨越时空的界限,与千年前的众神签下神之契约,众神轮回,盛世降临。但是,阻止我者,死。我愿为你踏破轮回,逆转天命,杀破众神,战碎苍穹!跨越千年的等待,只为你许下的诺言,至死不悔穿越历史的界限,只为你倾城的微笑,至死不悔
  • 剑是怎样炼成的

    剑是怎样炼成的

    追梦的新书已经开启,书名为《魅力法则》,下面有直通车,希望大家可以继续支持追梦的新书!简介:穿越之后,萧川开启了“魅力系统”。在这个世界之中,萧川必须根据任务,去成功追求上百名"女神级"人物。这些"女神"或是学校的学生,或是社会姐,打工妹,白领,上市公司老板,以及电影明星等等。。任务:与“沉默女神”李蕊相约吃饭一小时。完成任务后可获得魅力值xx。。可增加女神好感度xx..更神奇的是,每名女神竟都拥有着非凡的身份。萧川在达到一定女神好感度后,还必须开启女神的真身觉醒,才能完成最终极的任务。近百名性格各异的女神,总会有你所爱。