EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Author(s): WM. T. HARRIS

Source: The College Courant, Vol. 14, No. 14 (APRIL 4, 1874), pp. 157-158
Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44975766
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 T he College Courant.
Volume XIV. SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 1874. Number 14.

THE STUDY OF SANSKRIT.' gards capability of expression, whether artistic, scien- is mostly through conventionality. His family and im-
tific, or historical. This latter designation (" perfect") mediate circle of acquaintances have given him his
To the Editor of The College Courant : does not seem to recommend itself as a substantial rea- habits of thinking and acting. He looks further and
Sir : - The instructions for studying Sanskrit,
son forwhich
the prominent place Latin and Greek hold sees in the community in which he lives is governed like-
Professor Whitney contributed to your issue of Dec. In
education. 13,the first sense as complete in respectwiseto by use and wont. Tradition is the chief factor ;
1873, had long been a desideratum. Having formerly
growth, accidental modifications of time and place enter as a
they would have no advantage over the Anglo-
been a professor of Sanskrit, I have again and the
Saxon, again
old Norse, the Zend, the Sanskrit, or any
less important factor ; another factor in the result is the
had to write letters to countrymen of ours other
who haddead ad-
language. Nor is it obvious at such glancelaw of development or evolution, wherein he sees a
dressed to me inquiries for information such as
why such is,completeness
at is an advantage. Why shouldgradual change ensuing from internal growth. Through
last, accessible in print. There are, however,
we nottwo
rather orstudy a living, organic growth wherein observation
we of this latter fact - that of evolution - he is
three relevant particulars which Professor canWhitney
trace a process actually going on ? Laws are man- carried at once beyond his community and beyond all
seems to have overlooked. It is to call attention
ifested only in transitions from one stage to another.contemporary communities. He begins to trace the
thereto that I trouble you with these few lines.
Again, if inflections are considered, what thoughtful historic evolution of his own civilization out of the
As his first step in reading, the student man
of Sanskrit
will assert that inflections are a mark of perfec-past. Out of the formless void of his consciousness
cannot possibly do better than go through tion
the ?whole of
Is the Sanskrit more perfect than the Latin tfiere
or begin to arise some intimations of his whereabout
the Hitopadeça ; and the best edition of this work
Greek Pro-
because it inflects twice as much as the latter ? and whence and whither.
fessor Whitney does not mention. I refer Doestonot
that by of spiritual development do away Even
maturity with the most materialistic science of our time has-
our venerable friend Professor Johnson,inflections?
formerly Could
of the syntax of Greek or Latin tensdo
to assure us that we should seek to know the indi-
Haileyburg College. Not only is the textany of more
this wonderful
edi- things than the syntax of Milton orby isolating him from his conditions. To know
vidual
tion very accurate, but, face to face with it, there is a? Could the language of Cicero express
Shakespeare an individual scientifically, we must study it in its his-
close English translation of all the four books,
what thatbesides
„of Burke could not? or that of Plato and tory. It it a part of a process. Its presuppositions
which there are, at the end of the volume, Aristotle
notes inexpress
suf- what Hegel and Schelling found Ger-
are needed to make it intelligible. Only in the per-
ficient quantity, and an admirable vocabulary. The to do ? It is doubtful if any of these
man inadequate spective of its history can we see it so as to comprehend
grammatical references are to the grammar by Prof.
questions could be answered in such a way as to defend
it as a whole.
Monier Williams. Professor Johnson's second edition
Latin and Greek on the ground of a superior degree ofIf a man does not know, nor feel his existence, he
is to be preferred. (Stephen Austin, Hertford,
perfection1864 i other languages.
over all cannot be said to live it as an independent existence.
30s.)
But the grounds intimated in the brief communica- The humblest piece of dirt beneath our feet pulsates
Missionaries intending to labor in the northwestern
tion of Professor Goodwin can be sustained, it seemswith
to vibrations that have traveled hither from the
provinces of India, who take up Sanskrit, would do well farthest star. But the clod does not know nor feel its
me. As subsidiary reason for the study of Latin one
to provide themselves, additionally, with Pandit Rarna-
may name its importance to the English-speaking peo- community with the universe of matter. That universe
jasan's edition of the Hitopadeça (Benaris, Medical does not exist for the clod, consequently the clod does
ples on account of the fact that it furnishes the root-
Hall Press, 1870; two rupees). In this edition, the
words to that part of our vocabulary which is more notes- exist for itself. It is conscious communication with
Sanskrit and a literal prose Hindú version occupy the one's existence that makes it one's own. The more com-
pecially the language of thought and reflection, while
upper half of the page and the lower, respectively.
the Teutonic or Gothic groundwork is the language of plete the consciousness the higher and more personal the
Of a small but dear book by the late Dr. Ballantyne,
the sensuous experience and of common fife. Hence being. The man who does not know his history nor
in which an attempt is made to teach the rudiments of
it happens that even a little study of Latin makesthea history of his civilization, does not consciously
Sanskrit on the principle of Ollendorf, little need be
possess himselfĒ His existence, as involved in those
great difference in the grasp of the mind as regards
said. It can be of no use, except to a person who
presuppositions, is not for him, is hence unassimilated,
generalization and principles. Without Latin the trope
would dawdle for a month or so over Sanskrit, for the and therefore exists as his fate and not as his freedom.
and metaphor underlying the abstract terms necessary
purpose of finding out whether he is likely to take to it.
The first requisite for directive power is knowledge.
to express all elevated sentiment or thought in English,
No notice is taken, I see, by Professor Whitney, of a
and more specifically all scientific results, whether Directive intelligence, knowledge itself, may ceaselessly
series of Sanskrit readers lately published at Bombay.
modify the effects of its presuppositions as it finds them
moral, legal, spiritual, or natural - is not perceived nor
Their materials are selected with judgment, they are ed-
felt. Such trope or metaphor is the basis of abstract on itself, and by successive acts of the will may deter-
ited with care, and they are very cheap.
mine itself in accordance with its pure ideal. This is
terms, and hence the latter have been termed " fossil
Prof. Maximilian Miiller's various elementary publi-
poetry." To gain command of the resources of a freedom.
lan-
cations on Sanskrit I should unhesitatingly condemn,
guage one must revivify this poetic element, must ac- When the scholar learns his presuppositions, and sees
with reasons given at length, if just judges had not the
quire a feeling of the trope and metaphor which it evolution afar off, of the elements that have come
spared me the trouble. Rather than helps, they are contains. down to him and entered his being ; elements that form
hindrances. Your obedient servant, his life and make the conditions which surround him
Fitzedward Hall.
This argument for the study of Latin by English-
Marlesford, Wickham Market Eng., March 13, 1874.
speaking peoples holds good in a greater or less degree and furnish the instrumentalities which he must wield ;
for the Romanic nations of modern time. But it is not then he begins to know how much his being involves,
so convincing when applied to the Germanic, Norse, and in the consciousness of this he begins to be some-
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY. and Sclavonic peoples. It is when we come to look body in real earnest. He begins to find himself. The
BY WM. T. HARRIS.
the question earnestly in the face as applied to all Eu- consciousness fills with substance - with its own
empty
ropean culture, that we begin to see its truer and deeperproper substance ; it " stands under " itself ; rises from
ON THE STUDY OF THE CLASSICS. psychological bearing. a particular special form of being to a generic, universal
The German Schopenhauer pithily remarks form
that " a thereof, which may be called culture.
[The following is the substance of an able presentation
of the relative value of the studies of the Classic and man who does not understand Latin is like the one who Thus for ages the mind of youth has been trained in
Modern Languages in education. Any seeming abrupt- walks through a beautiful region in a fog ; his horizon the schools on the two " dead languages," Latin and
ness in the beginning of the article is accounted for is by
very close to him. He sees only the nearest things Greek. For the évolution of the civilization in which

our compelled omission of the introduction.] clearly, and a few steps away from him the outlines we of live and move and have our being, issued through
everything
What peculiar influence arises from the study of Latin become indistinct or wholly lost. The Greece
hori- and Rome on its way to us. We kindled our
and Greek that the modern languages do not exert uponzon of the Latin scholar extends far and wide throughtorches at their sacred flames. The organism of the
the scholar ? What is the definite meaning of the the centuries of modern history, the middle ages, and
State, the invention of the forms in which man may live
antiquity."
words, " discipline," "culture," "exactness of thought," Here we have the essential kernel of the
in a civil community and enjoy municipal and personal
matter
" refining influence," when applied to the results of clas- hinted at under a figure of speech. rights - these trace their descent in a direct line from
sical study ? The object of education in the school should be Rome,
to and were indigenous to the people that spoke
To these appellations I might add that of " perfec- clear up the mind and give substance and disciplineLatin.
to In our civil and political forms we live Roman
tion." The Latin and Greek languages are spoken of its powers. To attain to clearness there is but one life to day. That side or phase of the complex organ-
as being " perfect" in the sense of complete as regards ism of modern civilization is Roman. Our scientific
way : it must learn the presuppositions of its being and
further growth ; or as regards etymological inflections ; activity. The individual looks out from his narrow en-and aesthetic forms come from beyond Rome ; they
or as regards syntactical organism ; or, finally, as re- virons in the Now and Here, and sees that he is what speak
he the language of their Geeek home to this very

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 158

day, asdrill suffices

much for that sort of discipline,
just as sectarian and secular agencies. Thus about 1850, the
but it jurisprudence
is accom- and
nounce their edicts
panied with the mental habit of abstracting fromin andsystem of public grants in aid was instituted.
Roman word These
through ignoring quality, or the concrete
Greece and relations of the most were proportioned to the to
Rome average number
a of pupils
beyo at-
still deeper spiritual
important of subjects - human life. tending
presupposition.in each school regarded as efficient by paid offi-
To
assimilateWhy the argument
this in favor of Latin
antecedent cial inspectors. The management
and Greek in ed- of the national edu-of
stage
not ucation does notto
sufficient apply to oriental
form cational
presuppositions be- an funds was entrusted to the committee of the
acquaintance
its history yond them,
or may be asked.
literature Privy Council on education.
The reply is two fold. The in The president
translaof this com-
such an most important of the presuppositions contact
immediate mittee sits in the Housewith
mentioned, the of Lords, and his duties it
are as
ing the languages theoretical and practical, are indigenous
of with those merely nominal. The
those two real director in English public
people - the
inmost spiritual peoples - the former with Greece,
selves. instruction
the latter with Rome. We (as well as Scotch
must and Irish) is the paid don
vice-
they thought Oriental presupposition
and appears inspoke president, who
Greece as the basis in is usually a member of the Lower House.
order to f
selves these of myths and of the religious mysteries. The Myths
embryonic The office,
stageshowever, was not held byof a member ofour the
From the modern scientific idea of method we see the represent the overthrow of the doctrine of substance by Cabinet till Mr. Forster amd the subject of education
absolute necessity of mastering our history in order spiritual
to might - the Titans by the gods of Olympus - lately fell to the fore-front of the political arena. Now,
know ourselves. We must take up into our conscious- Asiatic fate by European free personality. however, it is becoming one of the first importance. In
ness our presupposition before we can be in a condi- The Roman presupposition appears still less to be de- 1862, under the vice-presidency of Mr. Lowe, changes
rived (even negatively or by reaction like the were made in the mode of distributing the grants, which
Greek)
tion to achieve practical fieedom. Just as the unculti-
vated person feels and knows his narrow circle of sen- from the Orient. But the presupposition of Christianity added greatly to their utility. The system of "payment
in Judaism is sufficiently emphasized in that part of our
sations, desires, appetites, and volitions as his personal by results " was introduced, and the grants were pro-
education
existence, his " file," so the man of culture recognizes which is left to the Church. The psycholog-portioned thereafter, not to the number of children at-
ical
his identity with the vast complex of civilization, with discussion of this latter presupposition (Hebrew tending,
cul- but to the number who showed proficiency in
the long travail of human history : ture) is a very interesting one, but does not belong totheir studies, as tested by the instructors according to
" He omnipresent is,
this article. fixed standards. Grants were given, as they still are,
All round himself he lies, for new buildings, and for the maintainance of Normal
Osiris spread abroad, schools in connection with the various societies. It is
THE EDUCATIONAL STRUGGLE IN ENG-
Upstarting in all eyes." calculated that on the average one-third of the cost of
LAND.
For he looks at himself through the eyes of mankind, each school is defrayed by the Imperial Exchequer, one-
and sees himself in mankind. History is the revelationAs in some parts of Canada, so in England, third
anby the children's fees, at the general rate of 2d. a
edu-
of what is potentially in each man. cational contest is raging. On the face of affairs week, andalso,
the remainder by subscriptions from the mem-
We may now inquire what aspect the question of there
the is a resemblance in the nature of the casus belli . bers of the religious or other body, by which the school
substitution of a modern language - say German In or
each country there is apparently a dispute between is controlled. By this system of grants a great impetus
the advocates of a national secular, and those of awas
French - for Latin or Greek has. Is it not clear that a sep-given to the establishment of denominational
arate
"modern language stands to English in the relation of sectarian system of elementary instruction, schools,
between and they soon became efficient to supply the
a
coordination and not in any sense in that of a presupparty on the one side wishing that schools educational
receiving wants of the rural parishes.
position ? As immediate facts, German and French public aid should be efficient for purposes of In connection
instruction with the Church of England, there were
alone,
stand in need of explanation through evolution just as and one or more parties on the other side about
wish- 20,000 schools, attended by more than 1,500,000 of
much as the English does. Their civilizations are ingnot
that the public aid should be equally extended to while these controlled by the Wesleyans, Roman
pupils,
schools
embryonic stages of English civilization, but rather Catholics, British School Society, and various smaller bod-
rep- existing largely, if not chiefly, for maintaining
and increasing the prevalence of certain religious ies
etitions of it. To suggest a study of German or French, were about 5000 thousand in number, attended by 400,-
opin
ions. The great body of intelligent and liberal minded
as a substitute for Latin or Greek would be paralleled 000 children. Still, however, the system of separate
in the science of zoology by suggesting a study Canadians
of agencies was plainly insufficient for the nation and espec-
will, therefore, be predisposed to sympathize
snakes instead of tadpoles in the embryology of the with the dissenting and secular parties in Englandially
frog. nowfor the great towns. It could not give education
Greece and Rome stand at the entrance to the mod- fighting against the pretensions of English churchmen,to those children whose parents could not afford to pay
ern world or the Occidental phase in world history. which in the absence of fuller information may appear fees. It could not compel the attendance of those who
to
Greece introduces the idea of individuality into historybe as unreasonable as those of Roman Catholics in were unwilling to come, or whose parents were unwilling
in place of the Oriental idea of substance. RomeNew Brunswick. Englishmen, however, know that
deep- to the
send them. And it could scarcely be expected to
cases
ens the idea of individuality to that of legal person. are really very different. The party which raise
is the additional subscriptions, which would become
ag-
gressive
Both nations conquer the Orient ; first Greece, under on the western side of the Atlantic necessary
can only to provide accommodation for these waifs and
partially
Alexander, avenged its wrongs, long suffered at the correspond with the party which acts strays,
offen- if by any means they could be made to attend.
sively
hand of Persia, by subduing Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, on the eastern. The latter is the position of Many
the attempts were made to remedy the evil by en-
"religious"
Persia proper, Bactria, and Western India. The Greek or "denominational" party in actments
England. for establishing local boards of education. But
The first attempt on a large scale to remedy the all
kingdoms in Asia Minor and Egypt were for centuries were
evils of rendered abortive by the opposition of extreme
the seats of science. The Greek kingdoms in Syriapopular
and ignorance was the establishment of the Churchmen
Na- and extreme Radicals. When, however, in
Bactria - no one knows how much the East Indians and tional Society in the early part of this century. 1870, Parliament had leisure to turn from Ireland to Eng-
It was
and is connected with the Church of England, and
Chinese owe to them in the way of scraps of science land,
be-a determined and successful effort was made to
and art. ing enthusiastically supported by the clergy, it wipe away the national disgrace. The triumphant Rad-
rapidly
Then Rome brought under her yoke the western bar- icals were
multiplied schools throughout the country. So early as eager for a universal and compulsory system
barians, rooted out Carthage and extended her sway to 1834 it provided education for 700,000 children. of secular
Its instruction, accompained by complete with-
successes stimulated hostile parties to action. drawal
the east over Greece and the Greek empires, temporarily. Numer- of public aid from all schools not wholly under
The great modern States were born in the Roman col- ous schools were established by the British Society, an management. Most members of the cabinet
public
unsectarian body chiefly supported by Baptists were
onies of the west, and were nurtured under her civil code and In-openly or covertly favorable to the same policy.
of laws and with such Greek refinement as followed in dependents, while even more were started by the The disenheartened Conservatives, abandoning their al-
Wes-
the wake of Roman wealth and might. Finally Chris- leyans and Roman Catholics. For a long timetitude all at-of uncompromising hostility, were anxious only
tianity, sheltered under the Roman Eagle, found its tempts to deal with education as a matter of to save
national in-existing schools from the hands of the spoiler.
terest
way to all lands, destined to enter modern civilization, were frustrated by the obstinate Yet,
determination though
of supported by the Roman Catholics and
and under the threefold nurture of Roman laws, Greek the English clergy, backed by the Conservative some Wesleyans, there were still too weak to do much,
party
without
and the aristocratic Whigs, to enforce the teaching
science, and Christianity, the long education went on to- of the scarcely expected aid of the vice-president,
ward national independence and a humanitarian civil the national religion in all publicly supported Mr. W. E. Forster. He, though the son of a Quaker,
schools.
zation. is anre-
These overweening claims were, of course, strongly attached member of the Church of England, and
sisted by the Dissenting and Radical parties,offered
Discipline, culture, exactness of thought, refining in- and as a resolute opposition to the revolutionary
schemes of her enemies. In the bill which he prepared,
neither party would yield, for many years educational
fluence, are in a special sense results of classical study,
inasmuch as it alone furnishes a direct road to the con- as well
legislation was impossible. At length, however, Mr.as the speeches which he delivered, he recog-
nized the hardship of subverting the existing system
scious possession of the conventionalities of our civili-Disraeli and Sir John Pakington induced their followers
zation. Greek gives the presuppositions of the theoret- to abandon Utopian pretensions, and cease to
called
act as
into being by a lavish expenditure of toil and
dogs in the national manger. Churchmen were
ical intelligence. Latin that of the practical (or will money
ad- on the part of its zealous upholders. He re-
vised,
side) of the intelligence. Mere disciplined ability to and wisely, as the event proved, to rely fused
on to punish these practical advocates of combined
their
own
give attention to a subject connectedly is not adequate numbers, wealth, and enthusiasm, for secular
getting the and religious instruction by virtually confiscat-
advantage
to give culture or exactness of thought. Mathematical in a contest on equal terms with competing
ing the result of their generous and beneficent labors.

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