Seek knowledge for the sake of the satisfaction which the attainment of
it will give you.
Seek knowledge that you may be able to do good to others.
These points suffice for the present. In the advanced course we shall
return to the consideration of the intellectual duties. I would also
recommend that the moral teacher, not content with dwelling on the uses
of knowledge in general, should go through the list of subjects which
are commonly taught in school, such as geography, history, language,
etc., and explain the value of each. This is too commonly neglected.
Having stationed the duty of acquiring knowledge in the center, connect
with it the various lesser duties of school life, such as punctual
attendance, order, diligent and conscientious preparation of home
lessons, etc. These are means to an end, and should be represented as
such. He who desires the end will desire the means. Get your pupils to
love knowledge, and the practice of these minor virtues will follow of
itself. Other matters might be introduced in connection with what has
been mentioned, but enough has been said to indicate the point of view
from which the whole subject of intellectual duty should, as I think, be
treated in the present course.
XII.
DUTIES WHICH RELATE TO THE PHYSICAL LIFE.
Of the duties which relate to the physical life, the principal one is
that of self-preservation, and this involves the prohibition of suicide.
When one reflects on the abject life which many persons are forced to
lead, on their poverty in the things which make existence desirable and
the lack of moral stamina which often goes together with such
conditions, the wonder is that the number of suicides is not much
greater than it actually is. It is true most people cling to life
instinctively, and have an instinctive horror of death. Nevertheless,
the force of instinct is by no means a sufficient deterrent in all
cases, and the number of suicides is just now alarmingly on the
increase. If we were here considering the subject of suicide in general
we should have to enter at large into the causes of this increase; we
should have to examine the relations subsisting between the increase of
suicide and the increase of divorce, and inquire into those pathological
conditions of modern society of which both are the symptoms; but our
business is to consider the ethics of the matter, not the causes. The
ethics of suicide resolves itself into the question, Is it justifiable
under any circumstances to take one's life? You may object that this is
not a fit subject to discuss with pupils of thirteen or fourteen. Why
not? They are old enough to understand the motives which ordinarily lead
to suicide, and also the reasons which forbid it--especially the most
important reason, namely, that we live not merely or primarily to be
happy, but to help on as far as we can the progress of things, and
therefore that we are not at liberty to throw life away like an empty
shell when we have ceased to enjoy it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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