On-Education--Albert-Einstein

1OnEducationAlbertEinsteinFromanaddressatAlbany3N.Y.,ontheoccasionofthecelebrationofthetercentenaryofhighereducationinAmerica,October15,1936.TranslatedbyLinaArronet.PublishedinOutofMyLaterYears:NewYorkPhilosophicalLibrary,1950.Adayofcelebrationgenerallyisinthefirstplacededicatedtoretrospect,especiallytothememoryofpersonageswhohavegainedspecialdistinctionforthedevelopmentoftheculturallife.Thisfriendlyserviceforourpredecessorsmustindeednotbeneglected,particularlyassuchamemoryofthebestofthepastispropertostimulatethewell-disposedoftodaytoacourageouseffort.Butthisshouldbedonebysomeonewho,2fromhisyouth,hasbeenconnectedwiththisStateandisfamiliarwithitspast,notbyonewholikeagypsyhaswanderedaboutandgatheredhisexperiencesinallkindsofcountries.Thus,thereisnothingelseleftformebuttospeakaboutsuchquestionsas,independentlyofspaceandtime,alwayshavebeenandwillbeconnectedwitheducationalmatters.InthisattemptIcannotlayanyclaimtobeinganauthority,especiallyasintelligentandwell-meaningmenofalltimeshavedealtwitheducationalproblemsandhavecertainlyrepeatedlyexpressedtheirviewsclearlyaboutthesematters.FromwhatsourceshallI,asapartiallaymanintherealmofpedagogy,derivecouragetoexpoundopinionswithnofoundationsexceptpersonalexperienceandpersonalconviction?Ifitwerereallyascientificmatter,onewouldprobablybetemptedtosilencebysuchconsiderations.However,withtheaffairsofactivehuman3beingsitisdifferent.Hereknowledgeoftruthalonedoesnotsuffice;onthecontrary,thisknowledgemustcontinuallyberenewedbyceaselesseffort,ifitisnottobelost.Itresemblesastatueofmarble,whichstandsinthedesert,andiscontinuouslythreatenedwithburialbytheshiftingsand.Thehandsofservicemusteverbeatwork,inorderthatthemarblecontinuelastinglytoshineinthesun.Totheseservinghandsminealsoshallbelong.Theschoolhasalwaysbeenthemostimportantmeansoftransferringthewealthoftraditionfromonegenerationtothenext.Thisappliestodayinanevenhigherdegreethaninformertimes,forthroughmoderndevelopmentoftheeconomiclife,thefamilyasbeareroftraditionandeducationhasbeenweakened.Thecontinuanceandhealthofhumansocietyisthereforeinastillhigherdegreedependentontheschoolthanformerly.Sometimesoneseesintheschoolsimplytheinstrumentfortransferringacertain4maximumquantityofknowledgetothegrowinggeneration.Butthatisnotright.Knowledgeisdead;theschool,however,servestheliving.Itshoulddevelopintheyoungindividualsthosequalitiesandcapabilitieswhichareofvalueforthewelfareofthecommonwealth.Butthatdoesnotmeanthatindividualityshouldbedestroyedandtheindividualbecomeameretoolofthecommunity,likeabeeoranant.Foracommunityofstandardizedindividualswithoutpersonaloriginalityandpersonalaimswouldbeapoorcommunitywithoutpossibilitiesfordevelopment.Onthecontrary,theaimmustbethetrainingo£independentlyactingandthinkingindividuals,who,however,seeintheserviceofthecommunitytheirhighestlifeproblem.SofarasIcanjudge,theEnglishschoolsystemcomesnearesttotherealizationofthisideal.Buthowshallonetrytoattainthisideal?Shouldoneperhapstrytorealizethisaimby5moralizing?Notatall.Wordsareandremainanemptysound,andtheroadtoperditionhaseverbeenaccompaniedbylipservicetoanideal.Butpersonalitiesarenotformedbywhatisheardandsaid,butbylaborandactivity.Themostimportantmethodofeducationaccordinglyalwayshasconsistedofthatinwhichthepupilwasurgedtoactualperformance.Thisappliesaswelltothefirstattemptsatwritingoftheprimaryboyastothedoctor'sthesisongraduationfromtheuniversity,orastothemerememorizingofapoem,thewritingofacomposition,theinterpretation,andtranslationofatext,thesolvingofamathematicalproblemorthepracticeofphysicalsport.Butbehindeveryachievementexiststhemotivationwhichisatthefoundationofitandwhichinturnisstrengthenedandnourishedbytheaccomplishmentoftheundertaking.Heretherearethegreatestdifferencesandtheyareofgreatestimportancetotheeducationalvalue6oftheschool.Thesameworkmayoweitsorigintofearandcompulsion,ambitiousdesireforauthorityanddistinction,orlovinginterestintheobjectandadesirefortruthandunderstanding,andthustothatdivinecuriositywhicheveryhealthychildpossesses,butwhichsooftenisweakenedearly.Theeducationalinfluence,whichisexerciseduponthepupilbytheaccomplishmentofoneandthesameworkmaybewidelydifferent,dependinguponwhetherfearofhurt,egoisticpassion,ordesireforpleasureandsatisfactionisatthebottomofthiswork.Andnobodywillmaintainthattheadministrationoftheschoolandtheattitudeoftheteachersdonothaveaninfluenceuponthemoldingofthepsychologicalfoundationforpupils.Tometheworstthingseemstobeforaschoolprincipallytoworkwithmethodsoffear,force,andartificialauthority.Suchtreatmentdestroysthesoundsentiments,thesincerity,andtheself-confidenceofthepupil.7Itproducesthesubmissivesubject.ItisnowonderthatsuchschoolsaretheruleinGermanyandRussia.Iknowthattheschoolsinthiscountryarefreefromthisworstevil;thisalsoissoinSwitzerlandandprobablyinalldemocraticallygovernedcountries.Itiscomparativelysimpletokeeptheschoolfreefromthisworstofallevils.Giveintothepoweroftheteacherthefewestpossiblecoercivemeasures,sothattheonlysourceofthepupil'srespectfortheteacheristhehumanandintellectualqualitiesofthelatter.Thesec