a treatise on parents and children-第24部分

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of　a　rational　fear　of　real　dangers；　but　of　pure　abstract　fear；　the

quintessence　of　cowardice；　the　very　negation　of　〃the　fear　of　God。〃

Dotted　about　among　us　are　a　few　spirits　relatively　free　from　this

inculcated　paralysis；　sometimes　because　they　are　half…witted；

sometimes　because　they　are　unscrupulously　selfish；　sometimes　because

they　are　realists　as　to　money　and　unimaginative　as　to　other　things；

sometimes　even　because　they　are　exceptionally　able；　but　always　because

they　are　not　afraid　of　shadows　nor　oppressed　with　nightmares。　　And　we

see　these　few　rising　as　if　by　magic　into　power　and　affluence；　and

forming；　with　the　millionaires　who　have　accidentally　gained　huge

riches　by　the　occasional　windfalls　of　our　commerce；　the　governing

class。　　Now　nothing　is　more　disastrous　than　a　governing　class　that

does　not　know　how　to　govern。　　And　how　can　this　rabble　of　the　casual

products　of　luck；　cunning；　and　folly；　be　expected　to　know　how　to

govern？　　The　merely　lucky　ones　and　the　hereditary　ones　do　not　owe

their　position　to　their　qualifications　at　all。　　As　to　the　rest；　the

realism　which　seems　their　essential　qualification　often　consists　not

only　in　a　lack　of　romantic　imagination；　which　lack　is　a　merit；　but　of

the　realistic；　constructive；　Utopian　imagination；　which　lack　is　a

ghastly　defect。　　Freedom　from　imaginative　illusion　is　therefore　no

guarantee　whatever　of　nobility　of　character：　　that　is　why　inculcated

submissiveness　makes　us　slaves　to　people　much　worse　than　ourselves；

and　why　it　is　so　important　that　submissiveness　should　no　longer　be

inculcated。



And　yet　as　long　as　you　have　the　compulsory　school　as　we　know　it；　we

shall　have　submissiveness　inculcated。　　What　is　more；　until　the　active

hours　of　child　life　are　organized　separately　from　the　active　hours　of

adult　life；　so　that　adults　can　enjoy　the　society　of　children　in　reason

without　being　tormented；　disturbed；　harried；　burdened；　and　hindered　in

their　work　by　them　as　they　would　be　now　if　there　were　no　compulsory

schools　and　no　children　hypnotized　into　the　belief　that　they　must

tamely　go　to　them　and　be　imprisoned　and　beaten　and　over…tasked　in

them；　we　shall　have　schools　under　one　pretext　or　another；　and　we　shall

have　all　the　evil　consequences　and　all　the　social　hopelessness　that

result　from　turning　a　nation　of　potential　freemen　and　freewomen　into　a

nation　of　two…legged　spoilt　spaniels　with　everything　crushed　out　of

their　nature　except　dread　of　the　whip。　　Liberty　is　the　breath　of　life

to　nations；　and　liberty　is　the　one　thing　that　parents；　schoolmasters；

and　rulers　spend　their　lives　in　extirpating　for　the　sake　of　an

immediately　quiet　and　finally　disastrous　life。









End