a treatise on parents and children-第13部分

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it　to　imaginary　〃foreign　scoundrels；〃　and　to　secure　a　monopoly　of　its

organization　for　women。



And　all　this　evil　is　made　possible　by　the　schoolmaster　with　his　cane

and　birch；　by　the　parents　getting　rid　as　best　they　can　of　the　nuisance

of　children　making　noise　and　mischief　in　the　house；　and　by　the　denial

to　children　of　the　elementary　rights　of　human　beings。



The　first　man　who　enslaved　and　〃broke　in〃　an　animal　with　a　whip　would

have　invented　the　explosion　engine　instead　could　he　have　foreseen　the

curse　he　was　laying　on　his　race。　　For　men　and　women　learnt　thereby　to

enslave　and　break　in　their　children　by　the　same　means。　　These

children；　grown　up；　knew　no　other　methods　of　training。　　Finally　the

evil　that　was　done　for　gain　by　the　greedy　was　refined　on　and　done　for

pleasure　by　the　lustful。　　Flogging　has　become　a　pleasure　purchasable

in　our　streets；　and　inhibition　a　grown…up　habit　that　children　play　at。

〃Go　and　see　what　baby　is　doing；　and　tell　him　he　mustnt〃　is　the　last

word　of　the　nursery；　and　the　grimmest　aspect　of　it　is　that　it　was

first　formulated　by　a　comic　paper　as　a　capital　joke。







Technical　Instruction



Technical　instruction　tempts　to　violence　（as　a　short　cut）　more　than

liberal　education。　　The　sailor　in　Mr　Rudyard　Kipling's　Captains

Courageous；　teaching　the　boy　the　names　of　the　ship's　tackle　with　a

rope's　end；　does　not　disgust　us　as　our　schoolmasters　do；　especially　as

the　boy　was　a　spoiled　boy。　　But　an　unspoiled　boy　would　not　have　needed

that　drastic　medicine。　　Technical　training　may　be　as　tedious　as

learning　to　skate　or　to　play　the　piano　or　violin；　but　it　is　the　price

one　must　pay　to　achieve　certain　desirable　results　or　necessary　ends。

It　is　a　monstrous　thing　to　force　a　child　to　learn　Latin　or　Greek　or

mathematics　on　the　ground　that　they　are　an　indispensable　gymnastic　for

the　mental　powers。　　It　would　be　monstrous　even　if　it　were　true；　for

there　is　no　labor　that　might　not　be　imposed　on　a　child　or　an　adult　on

the　same　pretext；　but　as　a　glance　at　the　average　products　of　our

public　school　and　university　education　shews　that　it　is　not　true；　it

need　not　trouble　us。　　But　it　is　a　fact　that　ignorance　of　Latin　and

Greek　and　mathematics　closes　certain　careers　to　men　（I　do　not　mean

artificial；　unnecessary；　noxious　careers　like　those　of　the　commercial

schoolmaster）。　　Languages；　even　dead　ones；　have　their　uses；　and；　as　it

seems　to　many　of　us；　mathematics　have　their　uses。　　They　will　always　be

learned　by　people　who　want　to　learn　them；　and　people　will　always　want

to　learn　them　as　long　as　they　are　of　any　importance　in　life：　　indeed

the　want　will　survive　their　importance：　　superstition　is　nowhere

stronger　than　in　the　field　of　obsolete　acquirements。　　And　they　will

never　be　learnt　fruitfully　by　people　who　do　not　want　to　learn　them

either　for　their　own　sake　or　for　use　in　necessary　work。　　There　is　no

harder　schoolmaster　than　experience；　and　yet　experience　fails　to　teach

where　there　is　no　desire　to　learn。



Still；　one　must　not　begin　to　apply　this　generalization　too　early。　　And

this　brings　me　to　an　important　factor　in　the　case：　　the　factor　of

evolution。







Docility　and　Dependence



If　anyone；　impressed　by　my　view　that　the　rights　of　a　child　are

precisely　those　of　an　adult；　proceeds　to　treat　a　child　as　if　it　were

an　adult；　he　（or　she）　will　find　that　though　the　plan　will　work　much

better　at　some　points　than　the　usual　plan；　at　others　it　will　not　work

at　all；　and　this　discovery　may　provoke　him　to　turn　back　from　the　whole

conception　of　children's　rights　with　a　jest　at　the　expense　of

bachelors'　and　old　maids'　children。　　In　dealing　with　children　what　is

needed　is　not　logic　but　sense。　　There　is　no　logical　reason　why　young

persons　should　be　allowed　greater　control　of　their　property　the　day

after　they　are　twenty…one　than　the　day　before　it。　　There　is　no　logical

reason　why　I；　who　strongly　object　to　an　adult　standing　over　a　boy　of

ten　with　a　Latin　grammar；　and　saying；　〃you　must　learn　this；　whether

you　want　to　or　not；〃　should　nevertheless　be　quite　prepared　to　stand

over　a　boy　of　five　with　the　multiplication　table　or　a　copy　book　or　a

code　of　elementary　good　manners；　and　practice　on　his　docility　to　make

him　learn　them。　　And　there　is　no　logical　reason　why　I　should　do　for　a

child　a　great　many　little　offices；　some　of　them　troublesome　and

disagreeable；　which　I　should　not　do　for　a　boy　twice　its　age；　or

support　a　boy　or　girl　when　I　would　unhesitatingly　throw　an　adult　on

his　own　resources。　　But　there　are　practical　reasons；　and　sensible

reasons；　and　affectionate　reasons　for　all　these　illogicalities。

Children　do　not　want　to　be　treated　altogether　as　adults：　　such

treatment　terrifies　them　and　over…burdens　them　with　responsibility。

In　truth；　very　few　adults　care　to　be　called　on　for　independence　and

originality：　　they　also　are　bewildered　and　terrified　in　the　absence　of

precedents　and　precepts　and　commandments；　but　modern　Democracy　allows

them　a　sanctioning　and　cancelling　power　if　they　are　capable　of　using

it；　which　children　are　not。　　To　treat　a　child　wholly　as　an　adult　would

be　to　mock　and　destroy　it。　　Infantile　docility　and　juvenile　dependence

are；　like　death；　a　product　of　Natural　Selection；　and　though　there　is

no　viler　crime　than　to　abuse　them；　yet　there　is　no　greater　cruelty

than　to　ignore　them。　　I　have　complained　sufficiently　of　what　I

suffered　through　the　process　of　assault；　imprisonment；　and　compulsory

lessons　that　taught　me　nothing；　which　are　called　my　schooling。　　But　I

could　say　a　good　deal　also　about　the　things　I　was　not　taught　and

should　have　been　taught；　not　to　mention　the　things　I　was　allowed　to　do

which　I　should　not　have　been　allowed　to　do。　　I　have　no　recollection　of

being　taught　to　read　or　write；　so　I　presume　I　was　born　with　both

faculties；　but　many　people　seem　to　have　bitter　recollections　of　being

forced　reluctantly　to　acquire　them。　　And　though　I　have　the　uttermost

contempt　for　a　teacher　so　ill　mannered　and　incompetent　as　to　be　unable

to　make　a　child　learn　to　read　and　write　without　also　making　it　cry；

still　I　am　prepared　to　admit　that　I　had　rather　have　been　compelled　to

learn　to　read　and　write　with　tears　by　an　incompetent　and　ill　mannered

person　than　left　in　ignorance。　　Reading；　writing；　and　enough

arithmetic　to　use　money　honestly　and　accurately；　together　with　the

rudiments　of　law　and　order；　become　necessary　conditions　of　a　child's

liberty　before　it　can　appreciate　the　importance　of　its　liberty；　or

foresee　that　these　accomplishments　are　worth　acquiring。　　Nature　has

provided　for　this　by　evolving　the　instinct　of　docility。　　Children　are

very　docile：　　they　have　a　sound　intuition　that　they　must　do　what　they

are　told　or　perish。　　And　adults　have　an　intuition；　equally　sound；　that

they　must　take　advantage　of　this　docility　to　teach　children　how　to

live　properly　or　the　children　will　not　survive。　　The　difficulty　is　to

know　where　to　stop。　　To　illustrate　this；　let　us　consider　the　main

danger　of　childish　docility　and　parental　officiousness。







The　Abuse　of　Docility



Docility　may　survive　as　a　lazy　habit　long　after　it　has　ceased　to　be　a

beneficial　instinct。　　If　you　catch　a　child　when　it　is　young　enough　to

be　instinctively　docile；　and　keep　it　in　a　condition　of　unremitted

tutelage　under　the　nurserymaid；　the　governess；　the　preparatory　school；

the　secondary　school；　and　the　university；　until　it　is　an　adult；　you

will　produce；　not　a　self…reliant；　free；　fully　matured　human　being；　but

a　grown…up　schoolboy　or　schoolgirl；　capable　of　nothing　in　the　way　of

original　or　independent　action　except　outbursts　of　naughtiness　in　the

women　and　blackguardism　in　the　men。　　That　is　exactly　what　we　get　at

present　in　our　rich　and　consequently　governing　classes：　　they　pass

from　juvenility　to　senility　without　ever　touching　maturity　except　in

body。　　The　classes　which　cannot　afford　this　sustained　tutelage　are

notably　more　self…reliant　and　grown…up：　　an　office　boy　of　fifteen　is

often　more　of　a　man　than　a　university　student　of　twenty。

Unfortunately　this　precocity　is　disabled　by　poverty；　ignorance；

narrowness；　and　a　hideous　power　of　living　without　art　or　love　or

beauty　and　being　rather　proud　of　it。　　The　poor　never　escape　from

servitude：　　their　docility　is　preserved　by　their　slavery。　　And　so　all

become　the　prey　of　the　greedy；　the　selfish；　the　domineering；　the

unscrupulous；　the　predatory。　　If　here　and　there　an　individual　refuses

to　be　docile；　ten　docile　persons　will　beat　him　or　lock　him　up　or　shoot

him　or　hang　him　at　the　bidding　of　his　oppressors　and　their　own。　　The

crux　of　the　whole　difficulty　about　parents；　schoolmasters；　priests；

absolute　monarchs；　and　despots　of　every　sort；　is　the　tendency　to　abuse

natural　docility。　　A　nation　should　always　be　healthily　rebellious；　but

the　king　or　prime　minister　has　yet　to　be　found　who　will　make　trouble

by　cultivating　that　side　of　the　national　spirit。　　A　child　should　begin

to　assert　itself　early；　and　shift　for　itself　more　and　more　not　only　in

washing　and　dressing　itself；　but　in　opinions　and　conduct；　yet　as

nothing　is　so　exasperating　and　so　unlovable　as　an　uppish　child；　it　is

useless　to　expect　parents　and　schoolmasters　to　inculcate　this

uppishness。　　Such　unamiable　precepts　as　Always　contradict　an

authoritative　statement；　Always　return　a　blow；　Never　lose　a　chance　of

a　good　fight；　When　you　are　scolded　for　a　mistake　ask　the　person　who

scolds　you　whether　he　or　she　supposes　you　did　it　on　purpose；　and

follow　the　question　with　a　blow　or　an　insult　or　some　other

unmistakable　expression　of　resentment；　Remember　that　the　progress　of

the　world　depends　on　your　knowing　better　than　your　elders；　are　just　as

important　as　those　of　The　Sermon　on　the　Mount；　but　no　one　has　yet　seen

them　written　up　in　letters　of　gold　in　a　schoolroom　or　nursery。　　The

child　is　taught　to　be　kind；　to　be　respectful；　to　be　quiet；　not　to

answer　back；　to　be　truthful　when　its　elders　want　to　find　out　anything

from　it；　to　lie　when　the　truth　would　shock　or　hurt　its　eld