Three Absurdities of Certain Modern Theories of Education [pp. 265-292]

Absurdities of Modern Educatzon.
an intellectual evil, or a wrong done to the intellect. It is a
most serious moral mischief, thus to produce a habit of mind in
which everything must tend to make individuality of thought, or,
in other words, thinking for ourselves, of more account than
thinking right, even though it be with others, and which thus
produces, not only an interest higher than truth, but also a
temptation to prefer even wrong thinking, if supposed to be
original, to acquiescence in old and well-settled opinion. We
believe that one who has been trained under such an influence,
is much less likely, on that very account, to become a true
Christian, or even to develope the fairest traits of what is commonly called morality. There is great reason for regarding
this false interest as the chief moral taint of our literary period,
carrying with it many other moral evils in its train, and thus
bringing that class who ought to be the refiners and the elevators of our humanity, under the influence of some of the
lowest passions of our nature.
But waiving all such considerations, and even admitting, for
the sake of argument, that such individuality might be secured
without this danger of sacrificing the higher interest of truth,
we may still doubt whether it is really desirable in itself, or is
even a true result of right education. In opposition to all that
is now so frequently said, it may be maintained, that the more
a man has been brought under the power of a true educating
process, be it limited or extensive, (provided only its several
parts be adjusted to a proper harmony,) the more is he drawn
out of himself, (educatus, educed), or out of his native individualism, into a harmonizing community of sentiment with the
thoughtful and reasoning humanity of all ages. The other
idea, although held by many who profess the most philanthropic zeal, does in fact cherish a partial and one-sided
interest in humanity or rather a more intensely selfish love of
certain partial opinions assuming the name of universal benevolence, whilst all experience shows, that, in the end, it ever
manifests its real nature in the exhibition of a fanatical and
ferocious spirit.
The true view of education, as the carrying on the collected
knowledge of the race, or the handing down the torch of truth
as it steadily grows in distinctness and splendour from age to
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