68. Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1936)

Abstract

The usual lazy and short way by chastisement and the rod, which is the only instrument of government that tutors generally know, or even think of, is the most unfit of any to be used in education, because it tends to both these mischiefs. First, this kind of punishment contributes not at all to the mastery of our natural propensity to indulge corporal and present pleasure, and to avoid pain at any rate, but rather encourages it, and thereby strengthens that in us which is the root from whence spring all vicious actions and the irregularities of life. Secondly, this sort of correction naturally breeds an aversion to that which it is the tutor's business to create a liking to ... Thirdly, such a sort of slavish discipli e makes a slavish temper. The child submits, and dissembles obedience, whilst the fear of the rod hangs over him. But when that is removed, and by being out of sight, he can promise himself impunity, he gives the greater scope to his natural inclination; which by this way is not at all altered, but, on the contrary, heightened and increased in him; and after such restraint breaks out usually with the more violence. Or, fourthly, if severity carried to the highest pitch does prevail and works a cure on the present unruly distemper, it often brings in the room of it a worse and more dangerous disease, by breaking the mind; and then in the place of a disorderly young fellow, you have a low-spirited moped creature, who, however with his unnatural sobriety he may please silly people who commend tame and inactive children because they make no noise nor give them any trouble, yet at last will probably prove as uncomfortable a thing to his friends as he will be all his life a useless thing to himself and others.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 177 citations exist upstream.