Part 13 (2/2)

The progression _from the known to the unknown_ does not proceed from object to object, as would be assu about the development of ideas from a center, but merely unites the the h bound to himself Here, on the other hand, the known establishes itself in the child as a _complex system_ of ideas, which syste a series of psychical processes, representing in therowth

To bring about such a progress we must offer the child a syste to his natural instincts Thus, for instance, by means of our sensory apparatus we offer the child a series of objects capable of drawing his instinctive attention to colors, forms, and sounds, to tactile and baric qualities, etc, and the child, by ed exercises with each object, begins to organize his psychical personality, but at the sas

Thenceforth all external objects, for the reason that they have forht, hardness, etc, are no longer foreign to thein the consciousness of the child which prepares his, and invites him to receive thenition to the pris, he has acquired other relations with the world, other forer merely those primitive ones which are bound up with a species of pri interest, based upon the conquests of the intelligence

It is true that all these new conquests are fundamentally and profoundly based upon the _psychical needs_ of the individual; but the intellectual ele an impulse into a conscious and voluntary quest

The old pedagogic conception, which assumed that to call the attention of the child to the unknown it is necessary to connect it with the known, because it is thus that his interest rasped but a single detail of the complex phenomenon itness after our experiments

If the _known_ is to represent a new source of interest directed towards the unknown, it is essential that it should itself have been acquired in accordance with the tendency of nature; then preceding knowledge will lend interest to objects of ever-increasing conificance The culture thus created ensures the possibility of an indefinite _continuation_ in the successive evolution of such formative phenomena

Moreover, this culture itself creates _order_ in theher plain and si, this is short, this is red, this is yellow, etc, she fixes with a single word the clearly ues” them And each impression is perfectly distinct from the other, and has its own determined place in the mind, which may be recalled by a word; thenceforth, new acquisitions will not be thrown aside or ether chaotically, but will be duly deposited in their proper places, side by side with previous acquisitions of the saed library

Thus the mind not only has within itself the propulsive force required to increase its knowledge, but also an established order, which will be steadily hout its successive and illiains strength, it retains its ”equilibriu the objects, further tend to place the internal acquisitions so logically into relation one with another, that the results are a singular _facility_ and _accuracy_ of reasoning power, and a remarkable _quickness_ of comprehension: the law of ”the minimum of effort” is truly carried out as it is everywhere where order and activity reign

The internal coordination, like physiological adaptation, establishes itself as a result of the spontaneity of the exercises; the free developanizes itself is that which determines such an internal condition, just as in the body of the embryo the heart, in process of development, makes a place for itself in the space of the diastinum assumes its arched form as a result of pulmonary dilation

The teacher directs these pheno the child's attention to herself, since the whole future depends upon his concentration Her art consists in understanding and in avoiding interference with natural phenoards the nutrition of the new-born infant and the first coordinated activities of the spirit will be repeated at every period of life, with the necessary modifications induced by the increased co the parallel with physical nutrition, let us consider the growing infant which has cut its teeth, developed its gastric juice, and so gradually requires a more co himself by means of all the complications of modern kitchen and table; to keep his which correspond to the intianism; and if he introduces over-rich or unusual, unsuitable or poisonous substances, the result will be i, a ” the period of suckling and during the first years of life which created aliiene, not only for the child but for the adult, and pointed out the perils to which all were alike exposed during the epoch when infantile hygiene was unknown

There is a singular parallel in psychical life: the man will have an infinitely more complex life than the child; but for him, too, there should always be a correspondence between the needs of his nature and the manner in which his spirit is nourished A _rule_ of internal life will always pro to attention, the primitive fact of correspondence between nature and stimulus which is the funda with older children, and should remain the basis of education

I am prepared for the objections of ”experts” Children , even to things which are distasteful to them, because practical life demands such efforts

The objection is based on a prejudice analogous to that which at one tiood fathers of fa” In just the sahtful sphere--a fatal confusion When ideas of this order, now happily obsolete, obtained, fathers would allow their children to fast all day, if they refused a dish they disliked at thebut the rejected portion, which becaer weakened the child's will and destroyed his caprice, and the plateful of cold food ed Thus, argued such a father, in the various circuhout his life, my son will be ready to eat whatever coreedy and capricious In those days also, sweets were forbidden to children (whose organisreat deal of this during growth), in order to teach thereediness, and an easy and convenient hty children was to ”send them to bed without any supper”

Very similar methods are now adopted by those who insist that children should pay attention to things they dislike, in order to accustom them to the necessities of life But as in the case of psychical nourishht to bear upon the ”cold and distasteful viands,” the indigestible and heavy food weakens and poisons the unwilling recipient

Not thus shall we prepare the robust spirit, ready for all the difficult eventualities of life The boy ed the cold soup and went fasting to bed was the one whose body developed badly, as too weak to resist infection when he encountered it, and fell ill; anda store of unsatisfied appetites within hireatest joy of his liberty, when he became an adult, to eat and drink to excess How unlike was he to the boy of to-day, who, rationally fed and made robust of body, becomes the _abstemious_ man, who eats to live in health, and co; the ainst infectious diseases, and who is so ready for effort that, without any compulsion, he braves the arduous exertion of sport, and attereat enterprises, such as the discovery of the Poles and the ascent of loftythe icy wastes ofspiritual ascents, will be he whose will is strong, whose spirit is well balanced, whose decisions are prompt and stedfast

And the anizing itself in accordance with the provident laws of nature, and for an individuality, thewill and a well-balanced le, it is not necessary to have struggled fro He who is strong is ready; no hero was a hero before he had performed his heroic deed The trials life has in store for us are unforeseen, unexpected; no one can prepare us directly to orous soul that can be prepared for everything

When a living being is in process of evolution, it is essential to provide for the special requirements of the moment, in order to ensure its normal development The foetus must be nourished with blood; the new-born infant withits intra-uterine life the foetus should lack blood rich in albuen, or if poisonous substances should be introduced into its tissues, the living being will not develop northen the man evolved from this impoverished source Should the infant lack sufficient e of life conde ”prepares hi, quiet hours in sleep It is by sucking that the babe begins his teething So, too, the fledgling in the nest does not prepare for flight by flying, but remains motionless in the little warm shell where its food is provided The preparations for life are indirect

The prelude to such phenoht of birds, the ferocity of wild beasts, the song of the nightingale, the variegated beauty of the butterfly's wings, is the preparation in the secret places of a nest or a den, or in the motionless intimacy of the cocoon Omnipotent Nature asks only peace for the creature in process of forives herself

Then the childish spirit should also find a warm nest where its nutrition is secure, and after this we should await the revelations of its development

It is essential, therefore, to offer objects which correspond to its formative tendencies, in order to obtain the result which education oal: the development of the latent forces in man with the minimum of strain and all possible fulness

VII

WILL