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A　Treatise　on　Parents　and　Children


by　George　Bernard　Shaw









CONTENTS



Parents　and　Children

Trailing　Clouds　of　Glory

The　Child　is　Father　to　the　Man

What　is　a　Child？

The　Sin　of　Nadab　and　Abihu

The　Manufacture　of　Monsters

Small　and　Large　Families

Children　as　Nuisances

Child　Fanciers

Childhood　as　a　State　of　Sin

School

My　Scholastic　Acquirements

Schoolmasters　of　Genius

What　We　Do　Not　Teach；　and　Why

Taboo　in　Schools

Alleged　Novelties　in　Modern　Schools

What　is　to　be　Done？

Children's　Rights　and　Duties

Should　Children　Earn　their　Living？

Children's　Happiness

The　Horror　of　the　Perpetual　Holiday

University　Schoolboyishness

The　New　Laziness

The　Infinite　School　Task

The　Rewards　and　Risks　of　Knowledge

English　Physical　Hardihood　and　Spiritual　Cowardice

The　Risks　of　Ignorance　and　Weakness

The　Common　Sense　of　Toleration

The　Sin　of　Athanasius

The　Experiment　Experimenting

Why　We　Loathe　Learning　and　Love　Sport

Antichrist

Under　the　Whip

Technical　Instruction

Docility　and　Dependence

The　Abuse　of　Docility

The　Schoolboy　and　the　Homeboy

The　Comings　of　Age　of　Children

The　Conflict　of　Wills

The　Demagogue's　Opportunity

Our　Quarrelsomeness

We　Must　Reform　Society　before　we　can　Reform　Ourselves

The　Pursuit　of　Manners

Not　too　much　Wind　on　the　Heath；　Brother

Wanted：　　a　Child's　Magna　Charta

The　Pursuit　of　Learning

Children　and　Game：　　a　Proposal

The　Parents'　Intolerable　Burden

Mobilization

Children's　Rights　and　Parents'　Wrongs

How　Little　We　Know　About　Our　Parents

Our　Abandoned　Mothers

Family　Affection

The　Fate　of　the　Family

Family　Mourning

Art　Teaching

The　Impossibility　of　Secular　Education

Natural　Selection　as　a　Religion

Moral　Instruction　Leagues

The　Bible

Artist　Idolatry

〃The　Machine〃

The　Provocation　to　Anarchism

Imagination

Government　by　Bullies









PARENTS　AND　CHILDREN





Trailing　Clouds　of　Glory



Childhood　is　a　stage　in　the　process　of　that　continual　remanufacture　of

the　Life　Stuff　by　which　the　human　race　is　perpetuated。　　The　Life　Force

either　will　not　or　cannot　achieve　immortality　except　in　very　low

organisms：　　indeed　it　is　by　no　means　ascertained　that　even　the　amoeba

is　immortal。　　Human　beings　visibly　wear　out；　though　they　last　longer

than　their　friends　the　dogs。　　Turtles；　parrots；　and　elephants　are

believed　to　be　capable　of　outliving　the　memory　of　the　oldest　human

inhabitant。　　But　the　fact　that　new　ones　are　born　conclusively　proves

that　they　are　not　immortal。　　Do　away　with　death　and　you　do　away　with

the　need　for　birth：　　in　fact　if　you　went　on　breeding；　you　would

finally　have　to　kill　old　people　to　make　room　for　young　ones。



Now　death　is　not　necessarily　a　failure　of　energy　on　the　part　of　the

Life　Force。　　People　with　no　imagination　try　to　make　things　which　will

last　for　ever；　and　even　want　to　live　for　ever　themselves。　　But　the

intelligently　imaginative　man　knows　very　well　that　it　is　waste　of

labor　to　make　a　machine　that　will　last　ten　years；　because　it　will

probably　be　superseded　in　half　that　time　by　an　improved　machine

answering　the　same　purpose。　　He　also　knows　that　if　some　devil　were　to

convince　us　that　our　dream　of　personal　immortality　is　no　dream　but　a

hard　fact；　such　a　shriek　of　despair　would　go　up　from　the　human　race　as

no　other　conceivable　horror　could　provoke。　　With　all　our　perverse

nonsense　as　to　John　Smith　living　for　a　thousand　million　eons　and　for

ever　after；　we　die　voluntarily；　knowing　that　it　is　time　for　us　to　be

scrapped；　to　be　remanufactured；　to　come　back；　as　Wordsworth　divined；

trailing　ever　brightening　clouds　of　glory。　　We　must　all　be　born　again；

and　yet　again　and　again。　　We　should　like　to　live　a　little　longer　just

as　we　should　like　50　pounds：　　that　is；　we　should　take　it　if　we　could

get　it　for　nothing；　but　that　sort　of　idle　liking　is　not　will。　　It　is

amazingconsidering　the　way　we　talkhow　little　a　man　will　do　to　get

50　pounds：　　all　the　50…pound　notes　I　have　ever　known　of　have　been　more

easily　earned　than　a　laborious　sixpence；　but　the　difficulty　of

inducing　a　man　to　make　any　serious　effort　to　obtain　50　pounds　is

nothing　to　the　difficulty　of　inducing　him　to　make　a　serious　effort　to

keep　alive。　　The　moment　he　sees　death　approach；　he　gets　into　bed　and

sends　for　a　doctor。　　He　knows　very　well　at　the　back　of　his　conscience

that　he　is　rather　a　poor　job　and　had　better　be　remanufactured。　　He

knows　that　his　death　will　make　room　for　a　birth；　and　he　hopes　that　it

will　be　a　birth　of　something　that　he　aspired　to　be　and　fell　short　of。

He　knows　that　it　is　through　death　and　rebirth　that　this　corruptible

shall　become　incorruptible；　and　this　mortal　put　on　immortality。

Practise　as　you　will　on　his　ignorance；　his　fears；　and　his　imagination；

with　bribes　of　paradises　and　threats　of　hells；　there　is　only　one

belief　that　can　rob　death　of　its　sting　and　the　grave　of　its　victory；

and　that　is　the　belief　that　we　can　lay　down　the　burden　of　our　wretched

little　makeshift　individualities　for　ever　at　each　lift　towards　the

goal　of　evolution；　which　can　only　be　a　being　that　cannot　be　improved

upon。　　After　all；　what　man　is　capable　of　the　insane　self…conceit　of

believing　that　an　eternity　of　himself　would　be　tolerable　even　to

himself？　　Those　who　try　to　believe　it　postulate　that　they　shall　be

made　perfect　first。　　But　if　you　make　me　perfect　I　shall　no　longer　be

myself；　nor　will　it　be　possible　for　me　to　conceive　my　present

imperfections　（and　what　I　cannot　conceive　I　cannot　remember）；　so　that

you　may　just　as　well　give　me　a　new　name　and　face　the　fact　that　I　am　a

new　person　and　that　the　old　Bernard　Shaw　is　as　dead　as　mutton。　　Thus；

oddly　enough；　the　conventional　belief　in　the　matter　comes　to　this：

that　if　you　wish　to　live　for　ever　you　must　be　wicked　enough　to　be

irretrievably　damned；　since　the　saved　are　no　longer　what　they　were；

and　in　hell　alone　do　people　retain　their　sinful　nature：　　that　is　to

say；　their　individuality。　　And　this　sort　of　hell；　however　convenient

as　a　means　of　intimidating　persons　who　have　practically　no　honor　and

no　conscience；　is　not　a　fact。　　Death　is　for　many　of　us　the　gate　of

hell；　but　we　are　inside　on　the　way　out；　not　outside　on　the　way　in。

Therefore　let　us　give　up　telling　one　another　idle　stories；　and　rejoice

in　death　as　we　rejoice　in　birth；　for　without　death　we　cannot　be　born

again；　and　the　man　who　does　not　wish　to　be　born　again　and　born　better

is　fit　only　to　represent　the　City　of　London　in　Parliament；　or　perhaps

the　university　of　Oxford。







The　Child　is　Father　to　the　Man



Is　he？　　Then　in　the　name　of　common　sense　why　do　we　always　treat

children　on　the　assumption　that　the　man　is　father　to　the　child？　　Oh；

these　fathers！　　And　we　are　not　content　with　fathers：　　we　must　have

godfathers；　forgetting　that　the　child　is　godfather　to　the　man。　　Has　it

ever　struck　you　as　curious　that　in　a　country　where　the　first　article

of　belief　is　that　every　child　is　born　with　a　godfather　whom　we　all

call　〃our　father　which　art　in　heaven；〃　two　very　limited　individual

mortals　should　be　allowed　to　appear　at　its　baptism　and　explain　that

they　are　its　godparents；　and　that　they　will　look　after　its　salvation

until　it　is　no　longer　a　child。　　I　had　a　godmother　who　made　herself

responsible　in　this　way　for　me。　　She　presented　me　with　a　Bible　with　a

gilt　clasp　and　edges；　larger　than　the　Bibles　similarly　presented　to　my

sisters；　because　my　sex　entitled　me　to　a　heavier　article。　　I　must　have

seen　that　lady　at　least　four　times　in　the　twenty　years　following。　　She

never　alluded　to　my　salvation　in　any　way。　　People　occasionally　ask　me

to　act　as　godfather　to　their　children　with　a　levity　which　convinces　me

that　they　have　not　the　faintest　notion　that　it　involves　anything　more

than　calling　the　helpless　child　George　Bernard　without　regard　to　the

possibility　that　it　may　grow　up　in　the　liveliest　abhorrence　of　my

notions。



A　person　with　a　turn　for　logic　might　argue　that　if　God　is　the　Father

of　all　men；　and　if　the　child　is　father　to　the　man；　it　follows　that　the

true　representative　of　God　at　the　christening　is　the　child　itself。

But　such　posers　are　unpopular；　because　they　imply　that　our　little

customs；　or；　as　we　often　call　them；　our　religion；　mean　something；　or

must　originally　have　meant　something；　and　that　we　understand　and

believe　that　something。



However；　my　business　is　not　to　make　confusion　worse　confounded；　but　to

clear　it　up。　　Only；　it　is　as　well　to　begin　by　a　sample　of　current

thought　and　practice　which　shews　that　on　the　subject　of　children　we

are　very　deeply　confused。　　On　the　whole；　whatever　our　theory　or　no

theory　may　be；　our　practice　is　to　treat　the　child　as　the　property　of

its　immediate　physical　parents；　and　to　allow　them　to　do　what　they　like

with　it　as　far　as　it　will　let　them。　　It　has　no　rights　and　no

liberties：　　in　short；　its　condition　is　that　which　adults　recognize　as

the　most　miserable　and　dangerous　politically　possible　for　themselves：

namely；　the　condition　of　slavery。　　For　its　alleviation　we　trust　to　the

natural　affection　of　the　parties；　and　to　public　opinion。　　A　father

cannot　for　his　own　credit　let　his　son　go　in　rags。　　Also；　in　a　very

large　section　of　the　population；　parents　finally　become　dependent　on

their　children。　　Thus　there　are　checks　on　child　slavery　which　do　not

exist；　or　are　less　powerful；　in　the　case　of　manual　and　industrial

slavery。　　Sensationally　bad　cases　fall　into　two　classes；　which　are

really　the　same　class：　　namely；　the　children　whose　parents　are

excessively　addicted　to　the　sensual　luxury　of　petting　children；　and

the　children　whose　parents　are　excessively　addicted　to　the　sensual

luxury　of　physically　torturing　them。　　There　is　a　Society　for　the

Prevention　of　Cruelty　to　Children　which　has　effectually　made　an　end　of

our　belief　that　mothers　are　any　more　to　be　trusted　than　stepmothers；

or　fathers　than　slave…drivers。　　And　there　is　a　growing　body　of　law

designed　to　prevent　parents　from　using　their　childr