The Continental Monthly, Vol. 1, No. 6, June, 1862: Devoted To Literature and National PolicyVarious
History
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 1, No. 6, June, 1862: Devoted To Literature and National Policy
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- 19th century -- Periodicals
unknown, but not even conceived of. Because their nature and faculties
are identical, the law of their intellectual action must be the same.'
'Study is research.' In subsequent articles, it was claimed that the law
here indicated is for intellectual education, the one true and
comprehensive law; and it was expressed more fully in the words: 'All
true study is investigation; all true learning is discovery.'
We say, now, that when the first of these articles appeared, the leading
thought it contained, namely, that our pupils can and should learn by a
process of _re-discovery_, in the subjects they pursue, had not in
distinct nor in substantial statement in any way appeared in the
educational treatises or journals; and further, that it was not, so far
as their uttered or published expressions show, previously occupying the
attention of teachers or of educational writers, nor was it the subject
or substance of remarks, speeches, or debates, in the meetings of
Teachers' Associations. We say further, and because history and justice
require it, that in our country, especially in the educational movements
in the State of New-York, and in the several national associations of
educators, a marked change and revolution in the course of much of the
thought and discussion touching matters of education has, since the year
1858, become apparent, and that to the most casual participant or
observer, and in the precise direction in which the thought above
referred to points. The essential issue itself--the practicability and
desirableness of casting our studies into the form of courses of
re-discovery is somewhat distantly and delicately approached,
incorporated into speeches by an allusion or in the way of _apercû_, or
thrown out as a suggestion of a partial or auxiliary method with the
younger learners, all which is of a fashion highly patronizing to the
thought, spite of the scruples about confessing who was the suggester of
it. But other questions, which spring up in the train of this, which by
themselves had received attention long since, but had been mainly
dropped and unheard of among us during the past twenty-five years, have
come again into full and unconcealed prominence. Such are the questions
about the natural order of appearance of the faculties in childhood, as
to what are the elementary faculties of the mind, as to the adaptation
of the kinds and order of studies to these, etc. And thus, all at once,
is disclosed that Education itself, which many had thought quite a
'finished' thing, well and happily disposed of, or at least so far
perfected as to leave no work further save upon the veriest outskirts of
details, is in truth a giant superstructure with foundations in sand, or
so almost visibly lacking underneath it, that it threatens to fall. For,
in the name of the simplest of all common sense, how are we to educate
to the best, _not yet knowing_--and that is now acknowledged--_what are
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