按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
song of Shakespeare or of Goethe is pure art； it is exquisitely
beautiful； although its intellectual content may be nothing。 A
series of pictures is made to pass before your mind by the meaning
of words； and the effect is a melody of ideas。 Nevertheless； the
great mass of the literature we esteem is valued； not merely
because of having artistic form； but because of its intellectual
content； and the value is the higher the more precise； distinct；
and true is that intellectual content。 And； if you will let me for
a moment speak of the very highest forms of literature； do we not
regard them as highest simply because the more we know the truer
they seem； and the more competent we are to appreciate beauty the
more beautiful they are？ No man ever understands Shakespeare until
he is old； though the youngest may admire him； the reason being
that he satisfies the artistic instinct of the youngest and
harmonises with the ripest and richest experience of the oldest。
I have said this much to draw your attention to what； in my mind；
lies at the root of all this matter； and at the understanding of
one another by the men of science on the one hand； and the men of
literature； and history； and art； on the other。 It is not a
question whether one order of study or another should predominate。
It is a question of what topics of education you shall select which
will combine all the needful elements in such due proportion as to
give the greatest amount of food； support； and encouragement to
those faculties which enable us to appreciate truth； and to profit
by those sources of innocent happiness which are open to us； and；
at the same time； to avoid that which is bad； and coarse； and ugly；
and keep clear of the multitude of pitfalls and dangers which beset
those who break through the natural or moral laws。
I address myself； in this spirit； to the consideration of the
question of the value of purely literary education。 Is it good and
sufficient； or is it insufficient and bad？ Well； here I venture to
say that there are literary educations and literary educations。 If
I am to understand by that term the education that was current in
the great majority of middle…class schools； and upper schools too；
in this country when I was a boy； and which consisted absolutely
and almost entirely in keeping boys for eight or ten years at
learning the rules of Latin and Greek grammar； construing certain
Latin and Greek authors； and possibly making verses which； had they
been English verses； would have been condemned as abominable
doggerel；if that is what you mean by liberal education； then I
say it is scandalously insufficient and almost worthless。 My
reason for saying so is not from the point of view of science at
all； but from the point of view of literature。 I say the thing
professes to be literary education that is not a literary education
at all。 It was not literature at all that was taught； but science
in a very bad form。 It is quite obvious that grammar is science
and not literature。 The analysis of a text by the help of the
rules of grammar is just as much a scientific operation as the
analysis of a chemical compound by the help of the rules of
chemical analysis。 There is nothing that appeals to the aesthetic
faculty in that operation； and I ask multitudes of men of my own
age； who went through this process； whether they ever had a
conception of art or literature until they obtained it for
themselves after leaving school？ Then you may say； 〃If that is so；
if the education was scientific； why cannot you be satisfied with
it？〃 I say； because although it is a scientific training； it is of
the most inadequate and inappropriate kind。 If there is any good
at all in scientific education it is that men should be trained； as
I said before； to know things for themselves at first hand； and
that they should understand every step of the reason of that which
they do。
I desire to speak with the utmost respect of that science
philologyof which grammar is a part and parcel； yet everybody
knows that grammar； as it is usually learned at school； affords no
scientific training。 It is taught just as you would teach the
rules of chess or draughts。 On the other hand； if I am to
understand by a literary education the study of the literatures of
either ancient or modern nationsbut especially those of
antiquity； and especially that of ancient Greece； if this
literature is studied； not merely from the point of view of
philological science； and its practical application to the
interpretation of texts； but as an exemplification of and
commentary upon the principles of art； if you look upon the
literature of a people as a chapter in the development of the human
mind； if you work out this in a broad spirit； and with such
collateral references to morals and politics； and physical
geography； and the like as are needful to make you comprehend what
the meaning of ancient literature and civilisation is；then；
assuredly； it affords a splendid and noble education。 But I still
think it is susceptible of improvement； and that no man will ever
comprehend the real secret of the difference between the ancient
world and our present time； unless he has learned to see the
difference which the late development of physical science has made
between the thought of this day and the thought of that； and he
will never see that difference； unless he has some practical
insight into some branches of physical science； and you must
remember that a literary education such as that which I have just
referred to； is out of the reach of those whose school life is cut
short at sixteen or seventeen。
But； you will say； all this is fault…finding； let us hear what you
have in the way of positive suggestion。 Then I am bound to tell
you that； if I could make a clean sweep of everythingI am very
glad I cannot because I might； and probably should； make mistakes；
but if I could make a clean sweep of everything and start afresh；
I should； in the first place； secure that training of the young in
reading and writing； and in the habit of attention and observation；
both to that which is told them； and that which they see； which
everybody agrees to。 But in addition to that； I should make it
absolutely necessary for everybody； for a longer or shorter period；
to learn to draw。 Now； you may say； there are some people who
cannot draw； however much they may be taught。 I deny that in toto；
because I never yet met with anybody who could not learn to write。
Writing is a form of drawing； therefore if you give the same
attention and trouble to drawing as you do to writing； depend upon
it； there is nobody who cannot be made to draw； more or less well。
Do not misapprehend me。 I do not say for one moment you would make
an artistic draughtsman。 Artists are not made； they grow。 You may
improve the natural faculty in that direction； but you cannot make
it； but you can teach simple drawing； and you will find it an
implement of learning of extreme value。 I do not think its value
can be exaggerated； because it gives you the means of training the
young in attention and accuracy； which are the two things in which
all mankind are more deficient than in any other mental quality
whatever。 The whole of my life has been spent in trying to give my
proper attention to things and to be accurate； and I have not
succeeded as well as I could wish； and other people； I am afraid；
are not much more fortunate。 You cannot begin this habit too
early； and I consider there is nothing of so great a value as the
habit of drawing； to secure those two desirable ends。
Then we come to the subject…matter； whether scientific or
aesthetic； of education； and I should naturally have no question at
all about teaching the elements of physical science of the kind I
have sketched； in a practical manner； but among scientific topics；
using the word scientific in the broadest sense； I would also
include the elements of the theory of morals and of that of
political and social life； which； strangely enough； it never seems
to occur to anybody to teach a child。 I would have the history of
our own country； and of all the influences which have been brought
to bear upon it； with incidental geography； not as a mere chronicle
of reigns and battles； but as a chapter in the development of the
race； and the history of civilisation。
Then with respect to aesthetic knowledge and discipline； we have
happily in the English language one of the most magnificent
storehouses of artistic beauty and of models of literary excellence
which exists in the world at the present time。 I have said before；
and I repeat it here； that if a man cannot get literary culture of
the highest kind out of his Bible； and Chaucer； and Shakespeare；
and Milton； and Hobbes；＇81＇ and Bishop Berkeley；＇82＇ to mention
only a few of our illustrious writersI say； if he cannot get it
out of those wr