a treatise on parents and children(父母与子女专题研究)-第7章
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Now no controversial subject can be taught dogmatically。 He who knows
only the official side of a controversy knows less than nothing of its nature。
The abler a schoolmaster is； the more dangerous he is to his pupils unless
they have the fullest opportunity of hearing another equally able person do
his utmost to shake his authority and convict him of error。
At present such teaching is very unpopular。 It does not exist in
schools； but every adult who derives his knowledge of public affairs from
the newspapers can take in； at the cost of an extra halfpenny； two papers of
opposite politics。 Yet the ordinary man so dislikes having his mind
unsettled； as he calls it； that he angrily refuses to allow a paper which
dissents from his views to be brought into his house。 Even at his club he
resents seeing it； and excludes it if it happens to run counter to the
opinions of all the members。 The result is that his opinions are not worth
considering。 A churchman who never reads The Freethinker very soon
has no more real religion than the atheist who never reads The Church
Times。 The attitude is the same in both cases： they want to hear
nothing good of their enemies； consequently they remain enemies and
suffer from bad blood all their lives； whereas men who know their
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A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
opponents and understand their case； quite commonly respect and like
them； and always learn something from them。
Here； again； as at so many points； we come up against the abuse of
schools to keep people in ignorance and error； so that they may be
incapable of successful revolt against their industrial slavery。 The most
important simple fundamental economic truth to impress on a child in
complicated civilizations like ours is the truth that whoever consumes
goods or services without producing by personal effort the equivalent of
what he or she consumes； inflicts on the community precisely the same
injury that a thief produces； and would； in any honest State； be treated as a
thief； however full his or her pockets might be of money made by other
people。 The nation that first teaches its children that truth； instead of
flogging them if they discover it for themselves； may have to fight all the
slaves of all the other nations to begin with； but it will beat them as easily
as an unburdened man with his hands free and with all his energies in full
play can beat an invalid who has to carry another invalid on his back。
This； however； is not an evil produced by the denial of children's rights；
nor is it inherent in the nature of schools。 I mention it only because it
would be folly to call for a reform of our schools without taking account
of the corrupt resistance which awaits the reformer。
A word must also be said about the opposition to reform of the vested
interest of the classical and coercive schoolmaster。 He； poor wretch； has
no other means of livelihood； and reform would leave him as a workman
is now left when he is superseded by a machine。 He had therefore better
do what he can to get the workman compensated； so as to make the public
familiar with the idea of compensation before his own turn comes。
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A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Taboo in Schools
The suppression of economic knowledge； disastrous as it is； is quite
intelligible； its corrupt motive being as clear as the motive of a burglar for
concealing his jemmy from a policeman。 But the other great suppression
in our schools； the suppression of the subject of sex； is a case of taboo。
In mankind； the lower the type； and the less cultivated the mind； the less
courage there is to face important subjects objectively。 The ablest and
most highly cultivated people continually discuss religion； politics； and
sex： it is hardly an exaggeration to say that they discuss nothing else
with fully…awakened interest。 Commoner and less cultivated people；
even when they form societies for discussion； make a rule that politics and
religion are not to be mentioned； and take it for granted that no decent
person would attempt to discuss sex。 The three subjects are feared
because they rouse the crude passions which call for furious gratification
in murder and rapine at worst； and； at best； lead to quarrels and
undesirable states of consciousness。
Even when this excuse of bad manners； ill temper； and brutishness （for
that is what it comes to） compels us to accept it from those adults among
whom political and theological discussion does as a matter of fact lead to
the drawing of knives and pistols； and sex discussion leads to obscenity； it
has no application to children except as an imperative reason for training
them to respect other people's opinions； and to insist on respect for their
own in these as in other important matters which are equally dangerous：
for example； money。 And in any case there are decisive reasons； superior；
like the reasons for suspending conventional reticences between doctor
and patient； to all considerations of mere decorum； for giving proper
instruction in the facts of sex。 Those who object to it （not counting
coarse people who thoughtlessly seize every opportunity of affecting and
parading a fictitious delicacy） are； in effect； advocating ignorance as a
safeguard against precocity。 If ignorance were practicable there would
be something to be said for it up to the age at which ignorance is a danger
instead of a safeguard。 Even as it is； it seems undesirable that any special
emphasis should be given to the subject； whether by way of delicacy and
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A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
poetry or too impressive warning。 But the plain fact is that in refusing to
allow the child to be taught by qualified unrelated elders （the parents
shrink from the lesson； even when they are otherwise qualified； because
their own relation to the child makes the subject impossible between them）
we are virtually arranging to have our children taught by other children in
guilty secrets and unclean jests。 And that settles the question for all
sensible people。
The dogmatic objection； the sheer instinctive taboo which rules the
subject out altogether as indecent； has no age limit。 It means that at no
matter what age a woman consents to a proposal of marriage； she should
do so in ignorance of the relation she is undertaking。 When this actually
happens （and apparently it does happen oftener than would seem possible）
a horrible fraud is being practiced on both the man and the woman。 He is
led to believe that she knows what she is promising； and that he is in no
danger of finding himself bound to a woman to whom he is eugenically
antipathetic。 She contemplates nothing but such affectionate relations as
may exist between her and her nearest kinsmen； and has no knowledge of
the condition which； if not foreseen； must come as an amazing revelation
and a dangerous shock； ending possibly in the discovery that the marriage
has been an irreparable mistake。 Nothing can justify such a risk。 There
may be people incapable of understanding that the right to know all there
is to know about oneself is a natural human right that sweeps away all the
pretences of others to tamper with one's consciousness in order to produce
what they choose to consider a good character。 But they must here bow
to the plain mischievousness of entrapping people into contracts on which
the happiness of their whole lives depends without letting them know what
they are undertaking。
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Alleged Novelties in Modern
Schools
There is just one more nuisance to be disposed of before I come to the
positive side of my case。 I mean the person who tells me that my
schooldays belong to a bygone order of educational ideas and institutions；
and that schools are not now a bit like my old school。 I reply； with Sir
Walter Raleigh； by calling on my soul to give this statement the lie。
Some years ago I lectured in Oxford on the subject of Education。 A
friend to whom I mentioned my intention said； 〃You know nothing of
modern education： schools are not now what they were when you were a
boy。〃 I immediately procured the time sheets of half a dozen modern
schools； and found； as I expected； that they might all have been my old
school： there was no real difference。 I may mention； too； that I have
visited modern schools； and observed that there is a tendency to hang
printed pictures in an untidy and soulless manner on the walls； and
occasionally to display on the mantel…shelf a deplorable glass case
containing certain objects which might possibly； if placed in the hands of
the pupils； give them some practical experience of the weight of a pound
and the length of an inch。 And sometimes a scoundrel who has rifled a
bird's nest or killed a harmless snake encourages the children to go and do
likewise by putting his victims into an imitation nest and bottle and
exhibiting them as aids to 〃Nature study。〃 A suggestion that Nature is
worth study would certainly have staggered my schoolmasters； so perhaps
I may admit a gleam of progress here。 But as any child who attempted to
handl
