a new view of society-第18节

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explained；　but　we　proceed　to　unfold　it　still　more。　It　may　be　called　'A　System　for　the　Prevention　of　Crime；　and　the　Formation　of　Human　Character'　and；　under　an　established　and　well…intentioned　government　it　will　be　found　more　efficacious　in　producing　public　benefit　than　any　of　the　laws　now　in　existence。　　　　　The　fundamental　principle　on　which　all　these　Essays　proceed　is；　that　'children　collectively　may　be　taught　any　sentiments　and　habits'　or；　in　other　words；　'trained　to　acquire　any　character'。　　　　　It　is　of　importance　that　this　principle　should　be　for　ever　present　in　the　mind；　and　that　its　truth　should　be　established　beyond　even　the　shadow　of　doubt。　To　the　superficial　observer　it　may　appear　to　be　an　abstract　truth　of　little　value；　but　to　the　reflecting　and　accurate　reasoner；　it　will　speedily　discover　itself　to　be　a　power　which　ultimately　must　destroy　the　ignorance　and　consequent　prejudices　that　have　accumulated　through　all　preceding　ages。　　　　　For；　as　it　is　a　deduction　from　all　the　leading　facts　in　the　past　history　of　the　world；　so　it　will　be　found；　on　the　most　extensive　investigation；　to　be　consistent　with　every　fact　which　now　exists。　It　is　calculated；　therefore；　to　become　the　foundation　of　a　new　system；　which；　because　true　and　of　unparalleled　importance；　must　prove　irresistible；　will　speedily。　supersede　all　those　which　exist；　and　itself　become　permanent。　　　　　It　is　necessary；　however；　prior　to　the　introduction　of　this　system　in　all　its　bearings　and　consequences；　that　the　public　mind　should　be　impressed　with　the　deepest　conviction　of　its　truth。　　　　　For　this　purpose；　let　us　in　imagination　survey　the　various　states　and　empires　of　the　world；　and　attentively　observe　man　as　in　these　arbitrary　divisions　of　the　earth　he　is　known　to　exist。　　　　　Compare　the　national　character　of　each　community　with　the　laws　and　customs　by　which　they　are　respectively　governed；　and；　without　an　exception；　the　one　will　be　found　the　archetype　of　the　other。　　　　　Where；　in　former　ages；　the　laws　and　customs　established　by　Lycurgus　formed　man　into　a　model　for　martial　exploits；　and　a　perfect　instrument　for　war；　he　is　now　trained；　by　other　laws　and　customs；　to　be　the　instrument　of　a　despotism　which　renders　him　almost；　or　altogether；　unfit　for　war。　And　where　the　law　and　custom　of　Athens　trained　the　young　mind　to　acquire　as　high　a　degree　of　partial　rationality　as　the　history　of　preceding　times　records；　man　is　now　reduced；　by　a　total　change　of　laws　and　customs；　to　the　lowest　state　of　mental　degradation。　Also；　where；　formerly；　the　superior　native　American　tribes　roamed　fearlessly　through　their　trackless　forests；　uniformly　exhibiting　the　hardy；　penetrating；　elevated；。　and　sincere　character；　which　was　at　a　loss　to　comprehend　how　a　rational　being　could　desire　to　possess　more　than　his　nature　could　enjoy；　now；　on　the　very　same　soil；　in　the　same　climate；　characters　are　formed　under　laws　and　customs　so　opposite；　that　all　their　bodily　and　mental　faculties　are　individually　exerted　to　obtain；　if　possible；　ten　thousand　times　more　than　any　man　can　enjoy。　　　　　But　why　proceed　to　enumerate　such　endless　results　as　these；　of　the　never…failing　influence　of　training　over　human　nature；　when　it　may　be　easily　rendered　self…evident　even　to　the　most　illiterate；　by　daily　examples　around　their　own　dwellings？　　　　　No　one；　it　may　be　supposed；　can　now　be　so　defective　in　knowledge　as　to　imagine　it　is　a　different　human　nature；　which　by　its　own　powers　forms　itself　into　a　child　of　ignorance；　of　poverty；　and　of　habits　leading　to　crime　and　to　punishment；　or　into　a　votary　of　fashion；　claiming　distinction　from　its　folly　and　inconsistency；　or；　to　fancy；　that　it　is　some　undefined；　blind；　unconscious　process　of　human　nature　itself；　distinct　from　instruction；　that　forms　the　sentiments　and　habits　of　the　man　of　commerce；　of　agriculture；　the　law；　the　church；　the　army；　the　navy；　or　of　the　private　and　illegal　depredator　on　society。。　or　that　it　is　a　different　human　nature　which　constitutes　the　societies　of　the　Jews；　of　Friends；　and　of　all　the　various　religious　denominations　which　have　existed　or　which　now　exist。　No！　Human　nature；　save　the　minute　differences　which　are　ever　found　in　all　the　compounds　of　the　creation；　is　one　and　the　same　in　all；　it　is　without　exception　universally　plastic；　and　by　judicious　training　the　infants　of　any　one　class　in　the　world　may　be　readily　formed　into　men　of　any　other　class；　even　to　believe　and　declare　that　conduct　to　be　right　and　virtuous；　and　to　die　in　its　defence；　which　their　parents　had　been　taught　to　believe　and　say　was　wrong　and　vicious；　and　to　oppose　which；　those　parents　would　also　have　willingly　sacrificed　their　lives。　　　　　Whence　then　the　foundation　of　your　claim；　ye　advocates　for　the　superiority　of　the　early　prepossessions　of　your　sect　or　party；　in　opposition　to　those　taught　to　other　men？　Ignorance　itself；　at　this　day；　might　almost　make　it　evident　that　one　particle　of　merit　is　not　due　to　you；　for　not　possessing　those　notions　and　habits　which　you　now　the　most　contemn。　Ought　you　not；　and　will　you　not；　then；　have　charity　for　those　who　have　been　taught　different　sentiments　and　habits　from　yourselves？　Let　all　men　fairly　investigate　this　subject　for　themselves；　it　well　merits　their　most　attentive　examination。　They　will　then　discover　that　it　is　from　the　errors　of　education；　misinstructing　the　young　mind　relative　to　the　true　cause　of　early　prepossessions；　that　almost　all　the　evils　of　life　proceed。　　　　　Whence　then；　ye　advocates　for　the　merit　and　demerit　of　early　prepossessions　of　opinion；　do　you　derive　your　principles？　　　　　Let　this　system　of　misery　be　seen　in　all　its　naked　deformity！　It　ought　to　be　exposed；　for　the　instruction　which　it　inculcates　at　the　outset　of　forming　human　character　is　destructive　of　the　genuine　charity　which　can　alone　train　man　to　be　truly　benevolent　to　all　other　men。　The　ideas　of　exclusive　right　and　consequent　superiority　which　men　have　hitherto　been　taught　to　attach　to　the　early　sentiments　and　habits　in　which　they　have　been　instructed；　are　the　chief　cause　of　disunion　throughout　society；　such　notions　are；　indeed；　in　direct　opposition　to　pure　and　undefiled　religion；　nor　can　they　ever　exist　together。　The　extent　of　the　misery　which　they　generate　cannot；　however；　be　much　longer　concealed。　They　are　already　hastening　fast　to　meet　the　fate　of　all　errors；　for　the　gross　ignorance　on　which　this　system　of　misery　has　been　raised；　is　exposed　to　the　world　on　its　proper　foundation；　and；　so　exposed；　its　supporters　will　shrink　from　the　task　of　defence；　and　no　rational　mind　will　be　found　to　give　it　support。　　　　　Having　exhibited　the　error　on　which　ignorance　has　erected　the　systems　by　which　man　has　been　governed；　or　compelled　to　become　irrational　and　miserable；　and　having　laid　an　immovable　foundation　for　a　system　devoid　of　that　error；　which；　when　fully　comprehended　and　adopted　into　practice；　must　train　mankind　'to　think　of　and　act　to　others　as　they　would　wish　others　to　think　of　and　act　to　them'；　we　proceed　further　to　explain　this　system　without　error；　and　which　may　be　termed　a　system　without　mystery　As　then　children　collectively　may　be　formed　into　any　characters；　by　whom　ought　their　characters　to　be　formed？　　　　　The　kind　and　degree　of　misery　or　happiness　experienced　by　the　members　of　any　community；　depend　on　the　characters　which　have　been　formed　in　the　individuals　which　constitute　the　community。　　　　　It　becomes；　then；　the　highest　interest；　and　consequently　the　first　and　most　important　duty；　of　every　state；　to　form　the　individual　characters　of　which　the　state　is　composed。　And　if　any　characters；　from　the　most　ignorant　and　miserable　to　the　most　rational　and　happy；　can　be　formed；　it　surely　merits　the　deepest　attention　of　every　state　to　adopt　those　means　by　which　the　formation　of　the　latter　may　be　secured；　and　that　of　the　former　prevented。　　　　　It　follows　that　every　state；　to　be　well　governed；　ought　to　direct　its　chief　attention　to　the　formation　of　character；　and　thus　the　best　governed　state　will　be　that　which　shall　possess　the　best　national　system　of　education。　　　　　Under　the　guidance　of　minds　competent　to　its　direction；　a　national　system　of　training　and　education　may　be　formed；　to　become　the　most　safe；　easy；　effectual；　and　economical　instrument　of　government　that　can　be　devised。　And　it　may　be　made　to　possess　a　power　equal　to　the　accomplishment　of　the　most　grand　and　beneficial　purposes。　　　　　It　is；　however；　by　instruction　only；　that　the　population　of　the　world　can　be　made　conscious　of　the　irrational　state　in　which　they　now　exist；　and；　until　that　instruction　is　given；　it　is　premature　to　introduce　a　national　system　of　education。　　　　　But　the　time　is　now　arrived　when　the　British　Government　may　with　safety　adopt　a　national　system　of　training　and　education　for　the　poor　and　uninstructed；　and　this　measure　alone；　if　the　plan　shall　be　well　devised　and　executed；　will　effect　the　most　importantly　beneficial　changes。　　　　　As　a　preliminary　step；　however；　it　is　necessary　to　observe；　that　to　create　a　well…trained；　united；　and　happy　people；　this　national　system　should　be　uniform　over　the　United　Kingdom；　it　should　be　also　founded　in　the　spirit　of　peace　and　of　rationality；　and；　for　the　most　obvious　reasons；　the　thought　of　exclusion　to　one　child　in　the　empire　should　not　for　a　moment　be　entertained。　　　　　Several　plans　have　been　late