Another World: Fragments from the Star City of MontalluyahLumley, Benjamin
Science
Another World: Fragments from the Star City of Montalluyah
Lumley, Benjamin
Utopias
The character-divers generally effect the child's correction by
gentleness, and eventually bringing him to loathe the bad and love the
good. Time, labour, and attention are bestowed unsparingly, and, however
small the germ, the evil tendency is never left until, when this is
possible, it is completely eradicated. In certain cases, where the
footprint of nature is too firmly impressed, the efforts are continued
until other and opposing qualities have been developed, and the moral
patient has acquired such control over himself as to be able, in moments
of temptation and impulse, to dominate the disturbing propensity.
Even after the fault seems to have been eradicated, the patient is for
some time subjected to various tests and temptations before he is
pronounced cured. We do not trust to superficial appearances.
Similar precautions were taken in the cure of adult offenders against
the laws, but as soon as my plans had time to operate, offences by
adults were of rare occurrence.
When a child gives evidence of remarkable genius, he is watched with
more than jealous care, with a view to his superior refinement, and
other qualities which we like to see in harmony. We do not like to see,
as it were, a garment made partly of rich brocade and partly of common
material.
The character-divers, too, are greatly assisted in their observations by
an establishment attached to each school called "The Amusement Gallery,"
in which after a certain time the bent of the child, his versatility,
capriciousness, constancy of purpose, and other qualities and defects
are shown in his selection and continued or interrupted pursuit of any
particular occupation or amusement.
It is scarcely possible to overrate the importance of acting with
judgment towards children.
From the smallest beginnings, incurable defects of mind and permanent
disease of body will gather strength, grow and obtain the mastery, till
they carry off the sufferer, or implant vices that, like evil spirits,
will torture the victim during his life's career.
Nothing is spared in the education of the future man and mother of men.
In the child is seen the parent of other generations, one who, as he is
well or ill-directed, will strengthen or weaken the great work of human
happiness, bearing with him a blessing or a curse for the community.
Therefore whatever may be the pains or expenditure required in the cure
of incipient faults, as of incipient disease, we know that society will
be repaid more than a thousand-fold in the happiness of its members, in
evil prevented and good propagated, in the numbers of men of talent and
genius whose works, teeming with great results, will be thus saved to
the State.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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