a treatise on parents and children-第8部分

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the　rest　of　its　education　must　consist　of　anything　else　it　can　pick

up；　for　beyond　this　society　cannot　go　with　any　certainty；　and　indeed

can　only　go　this　far　rather　apologetically　and　provisionally；　as　doing

the　best　it　can　on　very　uncertain　ground。







Should　Children　Earn　their　Living？



Now　comes　the　question　how　far　children　should　be　asked　to　contribute

to　the　support　of　the　community。　　In　approaching　it　we　must　put　aside

the　considerations　that　now　induce　all　humane　and　thoughtful　political

students　to　agitate　for　the　uncompromising　abolition　of　child　labor

under　our　capitalist　system。　　It　is　not　the　least　of　the　curses　of

that　system　that　it　will　bequeath　to　future　generations　a　mass　of

legislation　to　prevent　capitalists　from　〃using　up　nine　generations　of

men　in　one　generation；〃　as　they　began　by　doing　until　they　were

restrained　by　law　at　the　suggestion　of　Robert　Owen；　the　founder　of

English　Socialism。　　Most　of　this　legislation　will　become　an

insufferable　restraint　upon　freedom　and　variety　of　action　when

Capitalism　goes　the　way　of　Druidic　human　sacrifice　（a　much　less

slaughterous　institution）。　　There　is　every　reason　why　a　child　should

not　be　allowed　to　work　for　commercial　profit　or　for　the　support　of　its

parents　at　the　expense　of　its　own　future；　but　there　is　no　reason

whatever　why　a　child　should　not　do　some　work　for　its　own　sake　and　that

of　the　community　if　it　can　be　shewn　that　both　it　and　the　community

will　be　the　better　for　it。







Children's　Happiness



Also　it　is　important　to　put　the　happiness　of　the　children　rather

carefully　in　its　place；　which　is　really　not　a　front　place。　　The

unsympathetic；　selfish；　hard　people　who　regard　happiness　as　a　very

exceptional　indulgence　to　which　children　are　by　no　means　entitled；

though　they　may　be　allowed　a　very　little　of　it　on　their　birthdays　or

at　Christmas；　are　sometimes　better　parents　in　effect　than　those　who

imagine　that　children　are　as　capable　of　happiness　as　adults。　　Adults

habitually　exaggerate　their　own　capacity　in　that　direction　grossly；

yet　most　adults　can　stand　an　allowance　of　happiness　that　would　be

quite　thrown　away　on　children。　　The　secret　of　being　miserable　is　to

have　leisure　to　bother　about　whether　you　are　happy　or　not。　　The　cure

for　it　is　occupation；　because　occupation　means　pre…occupation；　and　the

pre…occupied　person　is　neither　happy　nor　unhappy；　but　simply　alive　and

active；　which　is　pleasanter　than　any　happiness　until　you　are　tired　of

it。　　That　is　why　it　is　necessary　to　happiness　that　one　should　be

tired。　　Music　after　dinner　is　pleasant：　　music　before　breakfast　is　so

unpleasant　as　to　be　clearly　unnatural。　　To　people　who　are　not

overworked　holidays　are　a　nuisance。　　To　people　who　are；　and　who　can

afford　them；　they　are　a　troublesome　necessity。　　A　perpetual　holiday　is

a　good　working　definition　of　hell。







The　Horror　of　the　Perpetual　Holiday



It　will　be　said　here　that；　on　the　contrary；　heaven　is　always　conceived

as　a　perpetual　holiday；　and　that　whoever　is　not　born　to　an　independent

income　is　striving　for　one　or　longing　for　one　because　it　gives

holidays　for　life。　　To　which　I　reply；　first；　that　heaven；　as

conventionally　conceived；　is　a　place　so　inane；　so　dull；　so　useless；　so

miserable；　that　nobody　has　ever　ventured　to　describe　a　whole　day　in

heaven；　though　plenty　of　people　have　described　a　day　at　the　seaside；

and　that　the　genuine　popular　verdict　on　it　is　expressed　in　the　proverb

〃Heaven　for　holiness　and　Hell　for　company。〃　　Second；　I　point　out　that

the　wretched　people　who　have　independent　incomes　and　no　useful

occupation；　do　the　most　amazingly　disagreeable　and　dangerous　things　to

make　themselves　tired　and　hungry　in　the　evening。　　When　they　are　not

involved　in　what　they　call　sport；　they　are　doing　aimlessly　what　other

people　have　to　be　paid　to　do：　　driving　horses　and　motor　cars；　trying

on　dresses　and　walking　up　and　down　to　shew　them　off；　and　acting　as

footmen　and　housemaids　to　royal　personages。　　The　sole　and　obvious

cause　of　the　notion　that　idleness　is　delightful　and　that　heaven　is　a

place　where　there　is　nothing　to　be　done；　is　our　school　system　and　our

industrial　system。　　The　school　is　a　prison　in　which　work　is　a

punishment　and　a　curse。　　In　avowed　prisons；　hard　labor；　the　only

alleviation　of　a　prisoner's　lot；　is　treated　as　an　aggravation　of　his

punishment；　and　everything　possible　is　done　to　intensify　the

prisoner's　inculcated　and　unnatural　notion　that　work　is　an　evil。　　In

industry　we　are　overworked　and　underfed　prisoners。　　Under　such　absurd

circumstances　our　judgment　of　things　becomes　as　perverted　as　our

habits。　　If　we　were　habitually　underworked　and　overfed；　our　notion　of

heaven　would　be　a　place　where　everybody　worked　strenuously　for

twenty…four　hours　a　day　and　never　got　anything　to　eat。



Once　realize　that　a　perpetual　holiday　is　beyond　human　endurance；　and

that　〃Satan　finds　some　mischief　still　for　idle　hands　to　do〃　and　it

will　be　seen　that　we　have　no　right　to　impose　a　perpetual　holiday　on

children。　　If　we　did；　they　would　soon　outdo　the　Labor　Party　in　their

claim　for　a　Right　to　Work　Bill。



In　any　case　no　child　should　be　brought　up　to　suppose　that　its　food　and

clothes　come　down　from　heaven　or　are　miraculously　conjured　from　empty

space　by　papa。　　Loathsome　as　we　have　made　the　idea　of　duty　（like　the

idea　of　work）　we　must　habituate　children　to　a　sense　of　repayable

obligation　to　the　community　for　what　they　consume　and　enjoy；　and

inculcate　the　repayment　as　a　point　of　honor。　　If　we　did　that

todayand　nothing　but　flat　dishonesty　prevents　us　from　doing　itwe

should　have　no　idle　rich　and　indeed　probably　no　rich；　since　there　is

no　distinction　in　being　rich　if　you　have　to　pay　scot　and　lot　in

personal　effort　like　the　working　folk。　　Therefore；　if　for　only　half　an

hour　a　day；　a　child　should　do　something　serviceable　to　the　community。



Productive　work　for　children　has　the　advantage　that　its　discipline　is

the　discipline　of　impersonal　necessity；　not　that　of　wanton　personal

coercion。　　The　eagerness　of　children　in　our　industrial　districts　to

escape　from　school　to　the　factory　is　not　caused　by　lighter　tasks　or

shorter　hours　in　the　factory；　nor　altogether　by　the　temptation　of

wages；　nor　even　by　the　desire　for　novelty；　but　by　the　dignity　of　adult

work；　the　exchange　of　the　factitious　personal　tyranny　of　the

schoolmaster；　from　which　the　grown…ups　are　free；　for　the　stern　but

entirely　dignified　Laws　of　Life　to　which　all　flesh　is　subject。







University　Schoolboyishness



Older　children　might　do　a　good　deal　before　beginning　their　collegiate

education。　　What　is　the　matter　with　our　universities　is　that　all　the

students　are　schoolboys；　whereas　it　is　of　the　very　essence　of

university　education　that　they　should　be　men。　　The　function　of　a

university　is　not　to　teach　things　that　can　now　be　taught　as　well　or

better　by　University　Extension　lectures　or　by　private　tutors　or　modern

correspondence　classes　with　gramophones。　　We　go　to　them　to　be

socialized；　to　acquire　the　hall　mark　of　communal　training；　to　become

citizens　of　the　world　instead　of　inmates　of　the　enlarged　rabbit

hutches　we　call　homes；　to　learn　manners　and　become　unchallengeable

ladies　and　gentlemen。　　The　social　pressure　which　effects　these　changes

should　be　that　of　persons　who　have　faced　the　full　responsibilities　of

adults　as　working　members　of　the　general　community；　not　that　of　a

barbarous　rabble　of　half　emancipated　schoolboys　and　unemancipable

pedants。　　It　is　true　that　in　a　reasonable　state　of　society　this

outside　experience　would　do　for　us　very　completely　what　the　university

does　now　so　corruptly　that　we　tolerate　its　bad　manners　only　because

they　are　better　than　no　manners　at　all。　　But　the　university　will

always　exist　in　some　form　as　a　community　of　persons　desirous　of

pushing　their　culture　to　the　highest　pitch　they　are　capable　of；　not　as

solitary　students　reading　in　seclusion；　but　as　members　of　a　body　of

individuals　all　pursuing　culture；　talking　culture；　thinking　culture；

above　all；　criticizing　culture。　　If　such　persons　are　to　read　and　talk

and　criticize　to　any　purpose；　they　must　know　the　world　outside　the

university　at　least　as　well　as　the　shopkeeper　in　the　High　Street　does。

And　this　is　just　what　they　do　not　know　at　present。　　You　may　say　of

them；　paraphrasing　Mr。　Kipling；　〃What　do　they　know　of　Plato　that　only

Plato　know？〃　　If　our　universities　would　exclude　everybody　who　had　not

earned　a　living　by　his　or　her　own　exertions　for　at　least　a　couple　of

years；　their　effect　would　be　vastly　improved。







The　New　Laziness



The　child　of　the　future；　then；　if　there　is　to　be　any　future　but　one　of

decay；　will　work　more　or　less　for　its　living　from　an　early　age；　and　in

doing　so　it　will　not　shock　anyone；　provided　there　be　no　longer　any

reason　to　associate　the　conception　of　children　working　for　their

living　with　infants　toiling　in　a　factory　for　ten　hours　a　day　or　boys

drudging　from　nine　to　six　under　gas　lamps　in　underground　city　offices。

Lads　and　lasses　in　their　teens　will　probably　be　able　to　produce　as

much　as　the　most　expensive　person　now　costs　in　his　own　person　（it　is

retinue　that　eats　up　the　big　income）　without　working　too　hard　or　too

long　for　quite　as　much　happiness　as　they　can　enjoy。　　The　question　to

be　balanced　then　will　be；　not　how　soon　people　should　be　put　to　work；

but　how　soon　they　should　be　released　from　any　obligation　of　the　kind。

A　life's　work　is　like　a　day's　work：　　it　can　begin　early　and　leave　off

early　or　begin　late　and　leave　off　late；　or；　as　with　us；　begin　too

early　and　never　leave　off　at　all；　obviously　the　worst　of　all　possible

plans。　　In　any　event　we　must　finally　reckon　work；　not　as　the　curse　our

schools　and　prisons　and　capitalist　profit　factories　make　it　seem

today；　but　as　a　prime　necessity　of　a　tolerable　existence。　　And　if　we

cannot　devise　fresh　wants　as　fast　as　we　develop　the　means　of　supplying

them；　there　will　come　a　scarcity　of　the　needed；　cut…and…dried；

appointed　w