CHAPTER XIV. JOHN LOCKE-continued. Knowledge or Learning,-(a) Method,-(6) Materials,- LOCKE is a utilitarian in this sense that he holds that a boy naturalistic realist. At the same time, it must be admitted that he had, like Comenius, the conspicuous defect that he was unable to comprehend the education which was to be found in literary expression and was not alive to the intellectual discipline which grammatical studies yield. (a) Method. As regards method in instructing, Locke makes many pertinent remarks, but it had never occurred to him, though a philosopher, that method had a scientific basis in psychology. He dealt with the whole subject in a somewhat light, but by no means perfunctory, spirit. He considers that good methods may be easily found, and that as children naturally love knowledge, the task of instruction should not be so very difficult. "Knowledge," he says, "is grateful to the understanding as light to the eyes." Outside the three "R's" his remarks are rather directed to what ought to be the matter of instruction than to the how of method, although his pages are full of admirable suggestions. Knowledge may be had “at a very easy rate by good methods," but he does not suggest anything save what are rightly to be called wise expedients rather than methods strictly so called. The most valuable of his remarks to be found in the Thoughts on the subject of method in general are these: (§ 167) "Children's minds are narrow and weak and usually susceptible but of one thought at once. Whatever is in a child's head fills it for the time, especially if set on with any passion. It should, therefore, be the skill and art of the teacher to clear their heads of all other thoughts while they are learning of anything, the better to make room for what he would instil into them, that it may be received with attention and application, without which it leaves no impression. The natural temper of children disposes their minds to wander. Novelty alone takes them; whatever that presents they are presently eager to have a taste of and are as soon satisfied with it. They ckly grow weary of the same thing, and so have almost their whole delight in change and variety. It is a contradiction to the natural state of childhood for them to fix their fleeting thoughts." Again he says that the success of instruction depends on the activity of the pupil's mind relatively to the instruction given and to its attractiveness. In this Locke is right. But he is wrong, I think, when he says that everything must be made pleasant and attractive. The object of education in so far as it is discipline is, as I have already pointed out, to induce a child to put pressure on himself and to initiate intellectual effort under a sense of duty. This is one of the "hardships of the mind" which every young person has to endure and overcome. It is moral as well as intellectual in its effect. In some of his utterances Locke seems to recognize this fact himself, but he certainly does not take firm hold of it. The sum of the matter is that the instruction should always be as pleasant and attractive as it can possibly be made, and for this we rely on Method. (b) Materials. As regards the matter of knowledge Locke lets us clearly understand that this is quite secondary. Virtue, wisdom, and breeding, these are the chief ends of education. Other things he only "allows to be necessary." We must however give an account, however brief, of this portion of Locke's treatise. Reading. The letters of the alphabet (Locke thinks) may be learned as an amusement. Let them be pasted on a many sided bale or on four dice, and let children amuse themselves by casting these and seeing what letter is thrown. Then when the letters are known let the same process be followed, the players seeing after every throw who has thrown most words. Thus much for learning to read. Cheat your pupil into it if In this way he will soon be able to read some easy pleasant book," Aesop's fables being the best, and if it has pictures in it so much the better. Reynard the Fox he also recommends. Learning by heart and learning to should you can. not be made to "clog one another," as it is essential that the reading should always be associated with pleasure. The Creed and Ten Commandments and Lord's Prayer for example should not be learned by heart from a book, but by the oral repetition of others. Locke complains of the want of pleasant and suitable reading for children. He objects to the promiscuous reading of the Bible, for obvious reasons. Writing. This is to be begun only when the pupil can read English well, and first he should be taught to hold his pen right, and this before he is suffered to put it to paper. Then the proper placing of the paper and of his body is to be attended to. He should then trace over with black ink, letters lithographed in red ink. Then he may write without tracing. He recommends also shorthand. Drawing. This is recommended as a part of the education of a young gentleman: but solely because of its future utility. French and Latin. As soon as he can speak English it is time for him to learn some other language. This is to be talked into him, and begun early, that the organs of speech may be adapted to the French pronunciation. A year or two will enable a boy to speak French. Latin. When he can speak and read French well he should proceed to Latin. This should be learned in the same way, by talking and reading. "Latin I look upon as absolutely necessary to a gentleman." But can there be anything more absurd than forcing boys to learn Latin who will never need it afterwards, entering perhaps some trade? But custom is so strong that even tradesmen think that their children have not an orthodox education unless they learn Lilly's Grammar. The true way The ordinary way of learning Latin is bad. is by talking it into him, and thus he will learn easily what is usually whipped into boys over a period of 6 or 7 years. “Our knowledge [even of foreign tongues] should all begin in the things of sense and not in the abstractions of Logic and Metaphysics." § 166, p. 140. If a man cannot be got who can teach your son in the way suggested, the next best thing is to give him some easy book with an interlinear word for word translation—taking care that he makes himself perfect in one lesson before he goes to another. But as a preliminary it will be necessary that he first get the accidence by heart. More than this of grammar he need not have until he can himself read "Sanctii Minerva'." If a boy encounters difficulties in reading Latin do not trouble him to find them out, but tell him and help him on. Everything is to be made as easy and pleasant as possible. "Languages are to be learned by rote, custom, and memory." The grammar of a language he admits is to be studied critically, but only by professed scholars. In further considering the method of teaching Latin, he says that after some facility has been attained by reading the interlinear book, he may then be advanced to Justin or Eutropius, helping himself with an English translation. If this involves rote work what then? All languages are really learned by rote and are only well known when the words to express thought come readily without thought and without the conscious application of grammatical rules. Grammar is not on this account to be said to be of no use, but children in grammar schools should not be perplexed with it. People acquire great correctness and elegance in speaking a language who know nothing about its grammar. Conversation is that whereby people acquire languages. If grammar is to be studied with a view to greater correctness of speech it ought to be the grammar of our own tongue. At present one would think that all our youths were being trained to be teachers of the dead languages. Grammar, then, should be taught to those who desire to write or speak with elegance and to scholars, but only after they can speak and write the tongue whose grammar they study. [Note however that the accidence is to be got by 1 A treatise on Latin Grammar rather than a Latin Grammar (now forgotten). |