In dealing with self-complacency let him discriminate between vanity and
pride, between pride and dignity. Let him show that humility and dignity
are consistent with one another, yes, that they are complementary
aspects of one and the same moral quality. Not the least advantage to be
reaped from lessons on duty is the fixing in the pupil's mind of the
moral vocabulary. The moral terms as a rule are loosely used, and this
can not but lead to confusion in their application. Precise definitions,
based on thorough discussion, are an excellent means of moral
training.[6]
II. The duties which we owe to all men are Justice and Charity:
Be just is equivalent to--Do not hinder the development of any of thy
fellow-men. Be charitable is equivalent to--Assist the development of
thy fellow-men. Under the head of charity the teacher will have
occasion to speak not only of almsgiving, the visitation of the sick,
and the like, but of the thousand charities of the fireside, of the
charity of bright looks, of what may be called intellectual charity,
which consists in opening the eyes of the mentally blind, and of the
noblest charity of all, which consists in coming to the aid of those who
are deep in the slough of moral despond, in raising the sinful and
fallen.
III. Special social duties:
Under this head belong the duties which arise in the family: the
conjugal, the parental, the filial, the fraternal duties.
Under the head of duties peculiar to the various avocations should be
discussed the ethics of the professions, the ethics of the relations
between employers and laborers, etc.
The consideration of the duties of the citizen opens up the whole
territory of political ethics.
Lastly, the purely elective relationships of friendship and religious
fellowship give rise to certain fine and lofty ethical conceptions, the
discussion of which may fitly crown the whole course.
I have thus mentioned some of the main topics of practical ethics, from
which we are to make our selection for the moral lessons.
But a selective principle is needed. The field being spread out before
us, the question arises, At what point shall we enter it? What topics
shall we single out? It would be manifestly absurd, for instance, to
treat of international ethics, or of conjugal ethics, in a course
intended for children. But especially the order in which the different
topics are to follow each other needs to be determined. The order
followed in the above sketch is a purely logical one, and the logical
arrangement of a subject, as every educator knows, is not usually the
one most suitable for bringing it within reach of the understanding of
children. It would not be in the present instance. Clearly a selective
principle is wanted.
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