Presbyterian College - Pac Sac Yearbook (Clinton, SC)

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THE COLLEGIAN. II devoted to the morality of a person. VVith him morality was the end of education. He did not associate morality with re- ligion or ethical principles, and he considered the teacher who failed to develop the moral side of the pupil a failure. These statements are much overdrawn, for morality without religion is practically useless, and a person who lays undue stress on this one side of development is likely to become fanatical. The practice of virtue is to count far more than lectures on ethics. It is by doing good that one becomes goodg I do not know any exercise more certain in its results. Gccupy your pupil with all good actions that are in his reachg let the interest of the poor always be his: let him assist them not only with his purse, but with his personal attentionsg let him serve them protect them and consecrate to them his person and his time 5 let him be their advocateg he will never have a nobler employ- ment. VVe now come to the aesthic side of development. One of the hardest and yet one of the easiest things to do is to see beauty in everything. Often people grumble and complain because they hear other people admire some painting or music or a master-piece of some kind. These things cannot appeal to them because they have not trained the aesthic side of their nature. VVhat a pleasure it is to meet with persons who really see and enjoy the beauties around them! Once there was an old man who lived in a hut in a valley. Every morn- ing at day break he would start up the mountain side. On his way up the mountain he would always stop at a spring for a drink and then pass on. As he would reach the top of the mountain the sun would just be rising. Taking off his hat he would say, Good morning, Mr. NVorld, I'm glad to see you. This simple story impresses upon us the fact that if we kreally open our eyes and ears we can see beauty in everything. All persons should cultivate the aesthetic side of their nature be- cause it tends to soften their dispositons and make their thoughts purer and holier and Fill their souls with adminration. The Athenian system was by no means idealg the fundamental idea was not correct. This system was overdrawn. Their ob-

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I0 THE COLLEGIAN. it Hlls the store house of the mind with knowledge and this knowledge is so general that it make the universe seem like our home. An educated man knows something and knows it well, although he can never become master of any branch of learning. Ideal education will give a man self-knowledge, making him familiar with his faults and weaknesses. It will also cultivate Z1 person's taste, making him love the ideal. And iinally the educated man is happy. Happiness consists in the possession and use of one's full powers. He knows the truth, and the truth has made him free. He feels the beautiful, and the beautiful has made him gentle. He wills the good, and the good has made him strong. On the other hand, education is not a gift and can be attain- ed only by hard work and perservance. Ideal education does not give us something newg it only developes the faculties that lie dormant in the mind and fits us to be something. Let us now consider the six different sides of a man's nature to be developed, the spiritual, moral, aesthic, intellectual, prac-- tical and physical. The spiritual side of man well developed will enable him to know right from wrong and will show him what his business in this world is. Perceiving the evils existing in society, the spir- itual man will seek to establish a christ-like peace over all the land, preparing himself as well as others for the life to come. The study of the Bible is necessary in the spiritual develop- ment of man, and it has been said that if a person perfectly masters the Bible he will be really an educated man. We have always had warm advocates of this development. The most familiar one to us all is Christ. His life represents a mirror into which we may look and which we may use as a standard of our lives. We cannot think of him as looking over us to restrain and reprove, but must think of him as a kind anil tender and compassionate father leaving behind him traces of such a pure life that we cannot help imitating it. Witli Mar- tin Luther, Christianity was the basis of all worthy living. Other great pedagogists will emphasize the moral develop- ment. In Herbert Spencer's treatise on education a chapter is

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I2 THE COLLEGIAN. ject was to produce a beautiful Athenian and not a perfect manhood. The beautiful should not be the supreme aim of life, but should be cultivated equally with the other faculties. Coming to the intellectual side, a great deal can be said. In- tellectual development must be based on a sound psychology. Joseph Jacotot, a Frenchman, asserts that all intellects are equal, and that the attainment one makes depends on the will power. However, not every one can agree with him. Physic- ians have made experiments on the human brain, and have found that the brains of different persons are exactly alike in physical composition. Yet there must be some difference, be- cause all persons cannot learn the same things regardles of the fact that the will power has a great deal to do with the acquisition of knowledge. Erasmus entertained enlightened views concerning the education of girls. He believed in the intellectual, as well as in the moral and domestic training. He insists on the cultivation of the memory as a source of intellec- tual culture and reproaches parents for not taking the proper care in the selection of teachers for their children. Not only the learning but also the character of the teacher affects the pupil. The reasoning power must be cultivated in intellectual development. This culture is attainable by travel and inter- mingling with people. The fifth side to be considered is the practical. This may be considered the bread and butter side of life. It is pitiable to see a persn who is so extremely practical and has no knowl- edge of other things, while it is equally pitiable to see a person with all the other developments and no practical knowledge. We see these classes of people, who do not seem to think that one is essential to the other. The Roman system of education was too practical. They considered the building ofgaqueducts and framing of laws more important than the study of art and literature. If they had laid more stress on art and literature and had combined it with the practical, they would have left us a fine system of educa- tion. ' The last side of development for discussion is the physical.