a treatise on parents and children-第9部分

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

appointed　work　that　is　always　ready　to　everybody's　hand。　　It　may　have

to　be　shared　out　among　people　all　of　whom　want　more　of　it。　　And　then　a

new　sort　of　laziness　will　become　the　bugbear　of　society：　　the　laziness

that　refuses　to　face　the　mental　toil　and　adventure　of　making　work　by

inventing　new　ideas　or　extending　the　domain　of　knowledge；　and　insists

on　a　ready…made　routine。　　It　may　come　to　forcing　people　to　retire

before　they　are　willing　to　make　way　for　younger　ones：　　that　is；　to

driving　all　persons　of　a　certain　age　out　of　industry；　leaving　them　to

find　something　experimental　to　occupy　them　on　pain　of　perpetual

holiday。　　Men　will　then　try　to　spend　twenty　thousand　a　year　for　the

sake　of　having　to　earn　it。　　Instead　of　being　what　we　are　now；　the

cheapest　and　nastiest　of　the　animals；　we　shall　be　the　costliest；　most

fastidious；　and　best　bred。　　In　short；　there　is　no　end　to　the

astonishing　things　that　may　happen　when　the　curse　of　Adam　becomes

first　a　blessing　and　then　an　incurable　habit。　　And　in　that　day　we　must

not　grudge　children　their　share　of　it。







The　Infinite　School　Task



The　question　of　children's　work；　however；　is　only　a　question　of　what

the　child　ought　to　do　for　the　community。　　How　highly　it　should　qualify

itself　is　another　matter。　　But　most　of　the　difficulty　of　inducing

children　to　learn　would　disappear　if　our　demands　became　not　only

definite　but　finite。　　When　learning　is　only　an　excuse　for

imprisonment；　it　is　an　instrument　of　torture　which　becomes　more

painful　the　more　progress　is　made。　　Thus　when　you　have　forced　a　child

to　learn　the　Church　Catechism；　a　document　profound　beyond　the

comprehension　of　most　adults；　you　are　sometimes　at　a　standstill　for

something　else　to　teach；　and　you　therefore　keep　the　wretched　child

repeating　its　catechism　again　and　again　until　you　hit　on　the　plan　of

making　it　learn　instalments　of　Bible　verses；　preferably　from　the　book

of　Numbers。　　But　as　it　is　less　trouble　to　set　a　lesson　that　you　know

yourself；　there　is　a　tendency　to　keep　repeating　the　already　learnt

lesson　rather　than　break　new　ground。　　At　school　I　began　with　a　fairly

complete　knowledge　of　Latin　grammar　in　the　childish　sense　of　being

able　to　repeat　all　the　paradigms；　and　I　was　kept　at　this；　or　rather

kept　in　a　class　where　the　master　never　asked　me　to　do　it　because　he

knew　I　could；　and　therefore　devoted　himself　to　trapping　the　boys　who

could　not；　until　I　finally　forgot　most　of　it。　　But　when　progress　took

place；　what　did　it　mean？　　First　it　meant　Caesar；　with　the

foreknowledge　that　to　master　Caesar　meant　only　being　set　at　Virgil；

with　the　culminating　horror　of　Greek　and　Homer　in　reserve　at　the　end

of　that。　　I　preferred　Caesar；　because　his　statement　that　Gaul　is

divided　into　three　parts；　though　neither　interesting　nor　true；　was　the

only　Latin　sentence　I　could　translate　at　sight：　　therefore　the　longer

we　stuck　at　Caesar　the　better　I　was　pleased。　　Just　so　do　less

classically　educated　children　see　nothing　in　the　mastery　of　addition

but　the　beginning　of　subtraction；　and　so　on　through　multiplication　and

division　and　fractions；　with　the　black　cloud　of　algebra　on　the

horizon。　　And　if　a　boy　rushes　through　all　that；　there　is　always　the

calculus　to　fall　back　on；　unless　indeed　you　insist　on　his　learning

music；　and　proceed　to　hit　him　if　he　cannot　tell　you　the　year　Beethoven

was　born。



A　child　has　a　right　to　finality　as　regards　its　compulsory　lessons。

Also　as　regards　physical　training。　　At　present　it　is　assumed　that　the

schoolmaster　has　a　right　to　force　every　child　into　an　attempt　to

become　Porson　and　Bentley；　Leibnitz　and　Newton；　all　rolled　into　one。

This　is　the　tradition　of　the　oldest　grammar　schools。　　In　our　times　an

even　more　horrible　and　cynical　claim　has　been　made　for　the　right　to

drive　boys　through　compulsory　games　in　the　playing　fields　until　they

are　too　much　exhausted　physically　to　do　anything　but　drop　off　to

sleep。　　This　is　supposed　to　protect　them　from　vice；　but　as　it　also

protects　them　from　poetry；　literature；　music；　meditation　and　prayer；

it　may　be　dismissed　with　the　obvious　remark　that　if　boarding　schools

are　places　whose　keepers　are　driven　to　such　monstrous　measures　lest

more　abominable　things　should　happen；　then　the　sooner　boarding　schools

are　violently　abolished　the　better。　　It　is　true　that　society　may　make

physical　claims　on　the　child　as　well　as　mental　ones：　　the　child　must

learn　to　walk；　to　use　a　knife　and　fork；　to　swim；　to　ride　a　bicycle；　to

acquire　sufficient　power　of　self…defence　to　make　an　attack　on　it　an

arduous　and　uncertain　enterprise；　perhaps　to　fly。　　What　as　a　matter　of

common…sense　it　clearly　has　not　a　right　to　do　is　to　make　this　an

excuse　for　keeping　the　child　slaving　for　ten　hours　at　physical

exercises　on　the　ground　that　it　is　not　yet　as　dexterous　as　Cinquevalli

and　as　strong　as　Sandow。







The　Rewards　and　Risks　of　Knowledge



In　a　word；　we　have　no　right　to　insist　on　educating　a　child；　for　its

education　can　end　only　with　its　life　and　will　not　even　then　be

complete。　　Compulsory　completion　of　education　is　the　last　folly　of　a

rotten　and　desperate　civilization。　　It　is　the　rattle　in　its　throat

before　dissolution。　　All　we　can　fairly　do　is　to　prescribe　certain

definite　acquirements　and　accomplishments　as　qualifications　for

certain　employments；　and　to　secure　them；　not　by　the　ridiculous　method

of　inflicting　injuries　on　the　persons　who　have　not　yet　mastered　them；

but　by　attaching　certain　privileges　（not　pecuniary）　to　the

employments。



Most　acquirements　carry　their　own　privileges　with　them。　　Thus　a　baby

has　to　be　pretty　closely　guarded　and　imprisoned　because　it　cannot　take

care　of　itself。　　It　has　even　to　be　carried　about　（the　most　complete

conceivable　infringement　of　its　liberty）　until　it　can　walk。　　But

nobody　goes　on　carrying　children　after　they　can　walk　lest　they　should

walk　into　mischief；　though　Arab　boys　make　their　sisters　carry　them；　as

our　own　spoiled　children　sometimes　make　their　nurses；　out　of　mere

laziness；　because　sisters　in　the　East　and　nurses　in　the　West　are　kept

in　servitude。　　But　in　a　society　of　equals　（the　only　reasonable　and

permanently　possible　sort　of　society）　children　are　in　much　greater

danger　of　acquiring　bandy　legs　through　being　left　to　walk　before　they

are　strong　enough　than　of　being　carried　when　they　are　well　able　to

walk。　　Anyhow；　freedom　of　movement　in　a　nursery　is　the　reward　of

learning　to　walk；　and　in　precisely　the　same　way　freedom　of　movement　in

a　city　is　the　reward　of　learning　how　to　read　public　notices；　and　to

count　and　use　money。　　The　consequences　are　of　course　much　larger　than

the　mere　ability　to　read　the　name　of　a　street　or　the　number　of　a

railway　platform　and　the　destination　of　a　train。　　When　you　enable　a

child　to　read　these；　you　also　enable　it　to　read　this　preface；　to　the

utter　destruction；　you　may　quite　possibly　think；　of　its　morals　and

docility。　　You　also　expose　it　to　the　danger　of　being　run　over　by

taxicabs　and　trains。　　The　moral　and　physical　risks　of　education　are

enormous：　　every　new　power　a　child　acquires；　from　speaking；　walking；

and　co…ordinating　its　vision；　to　conquering　continents　and　founding

religions；　opens　up　immense　new　possibilities　of　mischief。　　Teach　a

child　to　write　and　you　teach　it　how　to　forge：　　teach　it　to　speak　and

you　teach　it　how　to　lie：　　teach　it　to　walk　and　you　teach　it　how　to

kick　its　mother　to　death。



The　great　problem　of　slavery　for　those　whose　aim　is　to　maintain　it　is

the　problem　of　reconciling　the　efficiency　of　the　slave　with　the

helplessness　that　keeps　him　in　servitude；　and　this　problem　is

fortunately　not　completely　soluble；　for　it　is　not　in　fact　found

possible　for　a　duke　to　treat　his　solicitor　or　his　doctor　as　he　treats

his　laborers；　though　they　are　all　equally　his　slaves：　　the　laborer

being　in　fact　less　dependent　on　his　favor　than　the　professional　man。

Hence　it　is　that　men　come　to　resent；　of　all　things；　protection；

because　it　so　often　means　restriction　of　their　liberty　lest　they

should　make　a　bad　use　of　it。　　If　there　are　dangerous　precipices　about；

it　is　much　easier　and　cheaper　to　forbid　people　to　walk　near　the　edge

than　to　put　up　an　effective　fence：　　that　is　why　both　legislators　and

parents　and　the　paid　deputies　of　parents　are　always　inhibiting　and

prohibiting　and　punishing　and　scolding　and　laming　and　cramping　and

delaying　progress　and　growth　instead　of　making　the　dangerous　places　as

safe　as　possible　and　then　boldly　taking　and　allowing　others　to　take

the　irreducible　minimum　of　risk。







English　Physical　Hardihood　and　Spiritual　Cowardice



It　is　easier　to　convert　most　people　to　the　need　for　allowing　their

children　to　run　physical　risks　than　moral　ones。　　I　can　remember　a

relative　of　mine　who；　when　I　was　a　small　child；　unused　to　horses　and

very　much　afraid　of　them；　insisted　on　putting　me　on　a　rather

rumbustious　pony　with　little　spurs　on　my　heels　（knowing　that　in　my

agitation　I　would　use　them　unconsciously）；　and　being　enormously　amused

at　my　terrors。　　Yet　when　that　same　lady　discovered　that　I　had　found　a

copy　of　The　Arabian　Nights　and　was　devouring　it　with　avidity；　she　was

horrified；　and　hid　it　away　from　me　lest　it　should　break　my　soul　as　the

pony　might　have　broken　my　neck。　　This　way　of　producing　hardy　bodies

and　timid　souls　is　so　common　in　country　houses　that　you　may　spend

hours　in　them　listening　to　stories　of　broken　collar　bones；　broken

backs；　and　broken　necks　without　coming　upon　a　single　spiritual

adventure　or　daring　thought。



But　whether　the　risks　to　which　liberty　exposes　us　are　moral　or

physical　our　right　to　liberty　involves　the　right　to　run　them。　　A　man

who　is　not　free　to　risk　his　neck　as　an　aviator　or　his　soul　as　a

heretic　is　not　free　at　all；　and　the　right　to　liberty　begins；　not　at

the　age　of　21　years　but　of　21　seconds。







The　Risks　of　Ignorance　and　Weakness



The　difficulty　with　children　is　that　they　need　protection