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Education_and_Discipline原文及翻译

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2021-02-02 11:08
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2021年2月2日发(作者:pws)


Education and Discipline


Betrand Russell


Any serious educational theory must consist of two parts




a conception of the ends of life




and a science of psychological dynamics




i.e.




of the laws of mental change. Two men who


differ as to the ends of life cannot


hope to agree


about education.


The educational machine




throughout Western civilization




is dominated by two ethical theories




that of Christianity




and


that


of


nationalism.


These


two




when


taken


seriously




are


incompatible




as


is


becoming


evident in Germany. For my part




I hold that where they differ




Christianity is preferable




but


where they agree




both are mistaken.



The conception which I should substitute as the purpose of education is civilization




a term


which




as I meant it




has a definition which is partly individual




partly social. It consists




in


the individual




of both intellectual and moral qualities




intellectually




a certain minimum of


general knowledge




technical skill in one's own profession




and a habit of forming opinions on


evidence




morally




of impartiality




kindliness




and a modicum of self-control. I should add


a quality which is neither moral nor intellectual




but perhaps physiological




zest and joy of life.


In


communities




civilization


demands


respect


for


law




justice


as


between


man


and


man




purposes


not


involving


permanent


injury


to


any


section


of


the


human


race




and


intelligent


adaptation of means to ends.





If these are to be the purpose of education




it is a question for the science of


psychology


to


consider


what


can


be


done


towards


realizing


them




and




in


particular




what degree of freedom is likely to prove most effective.





On


the


question


of


freedom


in


education


there


are


at


present


three


main


schools of thought




deriving partly from differences as to ends and partly from


differences in psychological theory. There are those who say that children should


be completely free




however bad they may be




there are those who say they


should be completely subject to authority




however good they may be




and there


are those who say they should be free




but in spite of freedom they should be


always good. This last party is larger than it has any logical right to be




Children




like adults




will not all be virtuous if they are all free. The belief that liberty will


insure moral perfection is a relic of Rousseauism




and would not survive a study


of animals and babies. Those who hold this belief think that education should have


no


positive


purpose




but


should


merely


offer


an


environment


suitable


for


spontaneous


development.


I


cannot


agree


with


this


school




which


seems


too


individualistic




and unduly indifferent to the importance of knowledge. We live in


communities which require cooperation




and it would be utopian to expect all the


necessary


cooperation


to


result


from


spontaneous


impulse.


The


existence


of


a


large population on a limited area is only possible owing to science and technique




education


must




therefore




hand


on


the


necessary


minimum


of


these.


The


educators


who


allow


most


freedom


are


men


whose


success


depends


upon


a


degree of benevolence




self-control




and trained intelligence which can hardly be


generated where every impulse is left unchecked




their merits




therefore




are


not likely to be perpetuated if their methods are undiluted. Education




viewed


from


a social standpoint




must be something more positive than a mere opportunity for


growth. It must




of course




provide this




but it must also provide a mental and


moral equipment which children cannot acquire entirely for themselves.





The arguments in favor of a great degree of freedom in education are derived


not from man's natural goodness




but from the effects of authority




both on those


who


suffer


it


and


on


those


who


exercise


it.


Those


who


are


subject


to


authority


become either submissive or rebellious




and each attitude has its drawbacks.





The submissive lose initiative




both in thought and action




moreover




the


anger generated by the feeling of being thwarted tends to find an outlet in bullying


those who are weaker. That is why tyrannical institutions are self- perpetuating




what


a


man


has


suffered


from


his


father


he


inflicts


upon


his


son




and


the


humiliations which he remembers having endured at his public school he passes


on to


education


turns


the


pupils


into


timid


tyrants




incapable


of


either


claiming


or


tolerating originality in word or deed. The effect upon the educators is even worse




they tend to become sadistic disciplinarians




glad to inspire terror




and content to


inspire


nothing else.


As


these


men


represent


knowledge




the


pupils


acquire


a


horror of knowledge




which




among the English upper class




is supposed to be


part


of


human


nature




but


is


really


part


of


the


well-grounded


hatred


of


the


authoritarian pedagogue.





Rebels




on the other hand




though they may be necessary




can hardly be


just to what exists. Moreover




there are many ways of rebelling




and only a small


minority of these are wise. Galileo was a rebel and was


wise




believers in the


flat-earth theory are equally rebels




but are foolish. There is a great danger in the


tendency to suppose that opposition to authority is essentially meritorious and that


unconventional opinions are bound to be correct




no useful purpose is served by


smashing


lamp-posts


or


maintaining


Shakespeare


to


be


no


poet.


Yet


this


excessive rebelliousness is often the effect that too much authority has on spirited


pupils. And when rebels become educators




they sometimes encourage defiance

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