A Practical Enquiry into the Philosophy of Education

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Gall James. A Practical Enquiry into the Philosophy of Education

PREFACE

PART I. ON THE PRELIMINARY OBJECTS NECESSARY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF EDUCATION

CHAP. I. On the Importance of establishing the Science of Education on a solid Foundation

CHAP. II. On the Cultivation of Education as a Science

CHAP. III. On the Improvement of Teaching as an Art

CHAP. IV. On the Establishment of Sound Principles in Education

PART II. ON THE GREAT DESIGN OF NATURE'S TEACHING, AND THE METHODS SHE EMPLOYS IN CARRYING IT ON

CHAP. I. A Comprehensive View of the several Educational Processes carried on by Nature

CHAP. II. On the Method employed by Nature for cultivating the Powers of the Mind

CHAP. III. On the Means by which Nature enables her Pupils to acquire Knowledge

CHAP. IV. On Nature's Method of communicating Knowledge to the Young by the Principle of Reiteration

CHAP. V. On the Acquisition of Knowledge by the Principle of Individuation

CHAP. VI. On the Application of Knowledge by the Principle of Association, or Grouping

CHAP. VII. On the Acquisition of Knowledge by the Principle of Analysis, or Classification

CHAP. VIII. On Nature's Methods of Teaching her Pupils to make use of their Knowledge

CHAP. IX. On Nature's Methods of Applying Knowledge by the Principle of the Animal, or Common Sense

CHAP. X. On Nature's Method of applying Knowledge by means of the Moral Sense, or Conscience

CHAP. XI. On Nature's Method of Training her Pupils to Communicate their Knowledge

CHAP. XII. Recapitulation of the Philosophical Principles developed in the previous Chapters

PART III. ON THE METHODS BY WHICH THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES OF NATURE MAY BE SUCCESSFULLY IMITATED

CHAP. I. On the Exercises by which Nature may be imitated in cultivating the Powers of the Mind

CHAP. II. On the Methods by which Nature may be imitated in the Pupil's Acquisition of Knowledge; with a Review of the Analogy between the Mental and Physical Appetites of the Young

CHAP. III. How Nature may be imitated in Communicating Knowledge to the Pupil, by the Reiteration of Ideas

CHAP. IV. On the Means by which Nature may be imitated in Exercising the Principle of Individuation

CHAP. V. On the Means by which Nature may be imitated in Applying the Principle of Grouping, or Association

CHAP. VI. On the Methods by which Nature may be imitated in Communicating Knowledge by Classification, or Analysis

CHAP. VII. On the Imitation of Nature in Teaching the Practical Use of Knowledge

CHAP. VIII. On the Imitation of Nature in Teaching the Use of Knowledge by means of the Animal or Common Sense

CHAP. IX. On the Imitation of Nature in Teaching the Practical Use of Knowledge by means of the Moral Sense, or Conscience

CHAP. X. On the Application of our Knowledge to the Common Affairs of Life

CHAP. XI. On the Imitation of Nature, in training her Pupils fluently to communicate their Knowledge

PART IV. ON THE SELECTION OF PROPER TRUTHS AND SUBJECTS TO BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

CHAP. I. On the General Principles which ought to regulate our choice of Truths and Subjects to be taught to the Young

CHAP. II. On the particular Branches of Education required for Elementary Schools

CHAP III. On the Easiest Methods of Introducing these Principles, for the first time, into Schools already established

THE END. NOTES

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Education is at present obviously in a transition state. The public mind has of late become alive to the importance of the subject; and all persons are beginning to feel awake to the truth, that something is yet wanting to insure efficiency and permanence to the labours of the teacher. The public will not be satisfied till some decided change has taken place; and many are endeavouring to grope their way to something better. It is with an earnest desire to help forward this great movement, that the writer of the following pages has been induced to publish the result of much study, and upwards of thirty years' experience, in the hope that it may afford at least some assistance in directing the enquiries of those who are prosecuting the same object.

On entering upon this investigation, it will be of use to keep in mind, that all the sciences have, at particular periods of their history, been in the same uncertain and unsettled position, as that which Education at present occupies; and that each of them has in its turn, had to pass through an ordeal, similar to that which education is about to undergo. They have triumphantly succeeded; and their subsequent rapid advancement is the best proof that they are now placed on a solid and permanent foundation. It is of importance, therefore, in attempting to forward the science of education, that we should profit by the experience of those who have gone before us. They succeeded by a strict observation of facts, and a stern rejection of every species of mere supposition and opinion; – by an uncompromising hostility to prejudice and selfishness, and a fearless admission of truth wherever it was discovered. Such must be the conduct of the Educationist, if he expects to succeed in an equal degree. The history of astronomy as taught by astrologers, and of chemistry in the hands of the alchymist, should teach both the lovers and the fearers of change an important lesson. These pretended sciences being mere conjectures, were of use to nobody; and yet the boldness with which they were promulgated, and the confidence with which they were received, had the effect of suppressing enquiry, and shutting out the truth for several generations. Similar may be the effects of errors in education, and similar the danger of too easily admitting them. The adoption of plausible theories, or of erroneous principles, must lead into innumerable difficulties; and should they be hastily patronized, and authoritatively promulgated, the improvement of this first and most important of the sciences may be retarded for a century to come.

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Thus we see, that in the act of hearing oral communications, the principle of reiteration of the ideas is obviously necessary for the acquiring of knowledge; and we shall now shew, that it is equally necessary in the act of reading.

Many persons must have witnessed children reading distinctly, and fluently perhaps, who yet were not made one whit wiser by what they read. The act of reading was correctly performed, and yet there was no accession to their knowledge. The cause of this is easily explained. The ideas conveyed by the words have not been reiterated by the mind, – perhaps they were never perceived. For as long as the act of reading is difficult, the words undergo this process first, and the ideas must be gleaned afterwards. Hence it is, that children, when hurried from lesson to lesson before they can read them so easily as to perceive and reiterate the ideas while reading, acquire the habit of decyphering the words alone, and the eye from practice reads mechanically, while the mind at the moment is usually wandering, or is engaged in attending to something else. Nature, as we have before shewed in the act of hearing, does not intend that the mind should pay attention both to the words and the ideas at the same time; and reading being only an artificial substitute for hearing, is made subject to the same law. It is the ideas that Nature induces us to grapple with; and the reading of words like the hearing of language, is merely the means employed to get at them. Hence the necessity of children being taught to read fluently, and with perfect ease, before they leave the school; and the neglect of this is the reason why so many after leaving school, derive so little instruction from the use of books. Of these individuals, experience shews, that many, who on leaving school could not collect ideas by their mode of mechanical reading, yet persevere, and at last teach themselves by long practice to understand what they read; while there are not a few who, in similar circumstances, become discouraged, abandon the practice of reading, and soon forget the art altogether.

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