The-aim-of-education

TheAimsofEducation(1929)ByAlfredNorthWhiteheadCultureisactivityofthought,andreceptivenesstobeautyandhumanefeeling.Scrapsofinformationhavenothingtodowithit.Amerelywell-informedmanisthemostuselessboreonGod'searth.Whatweshouldaimatproducingismenwhopossessbothcultureandexpertknowledgeinsomespecialdirection.Theirexpertknowledgewillgivethemthegroundtostartfrom,andtheirculturewillleadthemasdeepasphilosophyandashighasart.Wehavetorememberthatthevaluableintellectualdevelopmentisselfdevelopment,andthatitmostlytakesplacebetweentheagesofsixteenandthirty.Astotraining,themostimportantpartisgivenbymothersbeforetheageoftwelve.AsayingduetoArchbishopTempleillustratesmymeaning.Surprisewasexpressedatthesuccessinafter-lifeofaman,whoasaboyatRugbyhadbeensomewhatundistinguished.Heanswered,Itisnotwhattheyareateighteen,itiswhattheybecomeafterwardsthatmatters.Intrainingachildtoactivityofthought,aboveallthingswemustbewareofwhatIwillcallinertideas--thatistosay,ideasthataremerelyreceivedintothemindwithoutbeingutilised,ortested,orthrownintofreshcombinations.Inthehistoryofeducation,themoststrikingphenomenonisthatschoolsoflearning,whichatoneepocharealivewithafermentofgenius,inasucceedinggenerationexhibitmerelypedantryandroutine.Thereasonis,thattheyareoverladenwithinertideas.Educationwithinertideasisnotonlyuseless:itis,aboveallthings,harmful--Corruptiooptimi,pessima.Exceptatrareintervalsofintellectualferment,educationinthepasthasbeenradicallyinfectedwithinertideas.Thatisthereasonwhyuneducatedcleverwomen,whohaveseenmuchoftheworld,areinmiddlelifesomuchthemostculturedpartofthecommunity.Theyhavebeensavedfromthishorribleburdenofinertideas.Everyintellectualrevolutionwhichhaseverstirredhumanityintogreatnesshasbeenapassionateprotestagainstinertideas.Then,alas,withpatheticignoranceofhumanpsychology,ithasproceededbysomeeducationalschemetobindhumanityafreshwithinertideasofitsownfashioning.Letusnowaskhowinoursystemofeducationwearetoguardagainstthismentaldryrot.Weenunciatetwoeducationalcommandments,Donotteachtoomanysubjects,andagain,Whatyouteach,teachthoroughly.Theresultofteachingsmallpartsofalargenumberofsubjectsisthepassivereceptionofdisconnectedideas,notilluminedwithanysparkofvitality.Letthemainideaswhichareintroducedintoachild'seducationbefewandimportant,andletthembethrownintoeverycombinationpossible.Thechildshouldmakethemhisown,andshouldunderstandtheirapplicationhereandnowinthecircumstancesofhisactuallife.Fromtheverybeginningofhiseducation,thechildshouldexperiencethejoyofdiscovery.Thediscoverywhichhehastomake,isthatgeneralideasgiveanunderstandingofthatstreamofeventswhichpoursthroughhislife,whichishislife.ByunderstandingImeanmorethanamerelogicalanalysis,thoughthatisincluded.Imeanunderstanding'inthesenseinwhichitisusedintheFrenchproverb,Tounderstandall,istoforgiveall.Pedantssneerataneducationwhichisuseful.Butifeducationisnotuseful,whatisit?Isitatalent,tobehiddenawayinanapkin?Ofcourse,educationshouldbeuseful,whateveryouraiminlife.ItwasusefultoSaintAugustineanditwasusefultoNapoleon.Itisuseful,becauseunderstandingisuseful.Ipasslightlyoverthatunderstandingwhichshouldbegivenbytheliterarysideofeducation.NordoIwishtobesupposedtopronounceontherelativemeritsofaclassicaloramoderncurriculum.Iwouldonlyremarkthattheunderstandingwhichwewantisanunderstandingofaninsistentpresent.Theonlyuseofaknowledgeofthepastistoequipusforthepresent.Nomoredeadlyharmcanbedonetoyoungmindsthanbydepreciationofthepresent.Thepresentcontainsallthatthereis.Itisholyground;foritisthepast,anditisthefuture.Atthesametimeitmustbeobservedthatanageisnolesspastifitexistedtwohundredyearsagothanifitexistedtwothousandyearsago.Donotbedeceivedbythepedantryofdates.TheagesofShakespeareandofMolierearenolesspastthanaretheagesofSophoclesandofVirgil.Thecommunionofsaintsisagreatandinspiringassemblage,butithasonlyonepossiblehallofmeeting,andthatis,thepresent,andthemerelapseoftimethroughwhichanyparticulargroupofsaintsmusttraveltoreachthatmeeting-place,makesverylittledifference.Passingnowtothescientificandlogicalsideofeducation,werememberthatherealsoideaswhicharenotutilisedarepositivelyharmful.Byutilisinganidea,Imeanrelatingittothatstream,compoundedofsenseperceptions,feelings,hopes,desires,andofmentalactivitiesadjustingthoughttothought,whichformsourlife.Icanimagineasetofbeingswhichmightfortifytheirsoulsbypassivelyreviewingdisconnectedideas.Humanityisnotbuiltthatwayexceptperhapssomeeditorsofnewspapers.Inscientifictraining,thefirstthingtodowithanideaistoproveit.Butallowmeforonemomenttoextendthemeaningofprove;Imean--toproveitsworth.Nowanideaisnotworthmuchunlessthepropositionsinwhichitisembodiedaretrue.Accordinglyanessentialpartoftheproofofanideaistheproof,eitherbyexperimentorbylogic,ofthetruthofthepropositions.Butitisnotessentialthatthisproofofthetruthshouldconstitutethefirstintroductiontotheidea.Afterall,itsassertionbytheauthorityofrespectableteachersissufficientevidencetobeginwith.Inourfirstcontactwithasetofpropositions,wecommencebyappreciatingtheirimportance.Thatiswhatwealldoinafter-life.Wedonotattempt,inthestrict