autobiography and selected essays-第20节

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crocodiles　loses　its　force　among　other　animals；　or　among　plants。

If　one　series　of　species　has　come　into　existence　by　the　operation

of　natural　causes；　it　seems　folly　to　deny　that　all　may　have　arisen

in　the　same　way。





A　small　beginning　has　led　us　to　a　great　ending。　　If　I　were　to　put

the　bit　of　chalk　with　which　we　started　into　the　hot　but　obscure

flame　of　burning　hydrogen；　it　would　presently　shine　like　the　sun。

It　seems　to　me　that　this　physical　metamorphosis　is　no　false　image

of　what　has　been　the　result　of　our　subjecting　it　to　a　jet　of

fervent；　though　nowise　brilliant；　thought　to…night。　　It　has　become

luminous；　and　its　clear　rays；　penetrating　the　abyss　of　the　remote

past；　have　brought　within　our　ken　some　stages　of　the　evolution　of

the　earth。　　And　in　the　shifting　〃without　haste；　but　without　rest〃＇75＇

of　the　land　and　sea；　as　in　the　endless　variation　of　the　forms

assumed　by　living　beings；　we　have　observed　nothing　but　the　natural

product　of　the　forces　originally　possessed　by　the　substance　of　the

universe。







THE　PRINCIPAL　SUBJECTS　OF　EDUCATION　　　　　＇76＇





I　know　quite　well　that　launching　myself　into　this　discussion　＇77＇　is

a　very　dangerous　operation；　that　it　is　a　very　large　subject；　and　one

which　is　difficult　to　deal　with；　however　much　I　may　trespass　upon

your　patience　in　the　time　allotted　to　me。　　But　the　discussion　is　so

fundamental；　it　is　so　completely　impossible　to　make　up　one's　mind

on　these　matters　until　one　has　settled　the　question；　that　I　will

even　venture　to　make　the　experiment。　　A　great　lawyer…statesman　and

philosopher　of　a　former　ageI　mean　Francis　Bacon　＇78＇said　that　truth

came　out　of　error　much　more　rapidly　than　it　came　out　of　confusion。

There　is　a　wonderful　truth　in　that　saying。　　Next　to　being　right　in

this　world；　the　best　of　all　things　is　to　be　clearly　and　definitely

wrong；　because　you　will　come　out　somewhere。　　If　you　go　buzzing

about　between　right　and　wrong；　vibrating　and　fluctuating；　you　come

out　nowhere；　but　if　you　are　absolutely　and　thoroughly　and

persistently　wrong；　you　must；　some　of　these　days；　have　the　extreme

good　fortune　of　knocking　your　head　against　a　fact；　and　that　sets

you　all　straight　again。　　So　I　will　not　trouble　myself　as　to　whether

I　may　be　right　or　wrong　in　what　I　am　about　to　say；　but　at　any　rate

I　hope　to　be　clear　and　definite；　and　then　you　will　be　able　to　judge

for　yourselves　whether；　in　following　out　the　train　of　thought　I

have　to　introduce；　you　knock　your　heads　against　facts　or　not。



I　take　it　that　the　whole　object　of　education　is；　in　the　first

place；　to　train　the　faculties　of　the　young　in　such　a　manner　as　to

give　their　possessors　the　best　chance　of　being　happy　＇79＇　and　useful

in　their　generation；　and；　in　the　second　place；　to　furnish　them　with

the　most　important　portions　of　that　immense　capitalised　experience

of　the　human　race　which　we　call　knowledge　of　various　kinds。　　I　am

using　the　term　knowledge　in　its　widest　possible　sense；　and　the

question　is；　what　subjects　to　select　by　training　and　discipline；　in

which　the　object　I　have　just　defined　may　be　best　attained。



I　must　call　your　attention　further　to　this　fact；　that　all　the

subjects　of　our　thoughtsall　feelings　and　propositions　（leaving

aside　our　sensations　as　the　mere　materials　and　occasions　of

thinking　and　feeling）；　all　our　mental　furnituremay　be　classified

under　one　of　two　headsas　either　within　the　province　of　the

intellect；　something　that　can　be　put　into　propositions　and　affirmed

or　denied；　or　as　within　the　province　of　feeling；　or　that　which；

before　the　name　was　defiled；　was　called　the　aesthetic　side　of　our

nature；　and　which　can　neither　be　proved　nor　disproved；　but　only

felt　and　known。



According　to　the　classification　which　I　have　put　before　you；　then；

the　subjects　of　all　knowledge　are　divisible　into　the　two　groups；

matters　of　science　and　matters　of　art；　for　all　things　with　which

the　reasoning　faculty　alone　is　occupied；　come　under　the　province　of

science；　and　in　the　broadest　sense；　and　not　in　the　narrow　and

technical　sense　in　which　we　are　now　accustomed　to　use　the　word　art；

all　things　feelable；　all　things　which　stir　our　emotions；　come　under

the　term　of　art；　in　the　sense　of　the　subject…matter　of　the

aesthetic　faculty。　　So　that　we　are　shut　up　to　thisthat　the

business　of　education　is；　in　the　first　place；　to　provide　the　young

with　the　means　and　the　habit　of　observation；　and；　secondly；　to

supply　the　subject…matter　of　knowledge　either　in　the　shape　of

science　or　of　art；　or　of　both　combined。



Now；　it　is　a　very　remarkable　factbut　it　is　true　of　most　things　in

this　worldthat　there　is　hardly　anything　one…sided；　or　of　one

nature；　and　it　is　not　immediately　obvious　what　of　the　things　that

interest　us　may　be　regarded　as　pure　science；　and　what　may　be

regarded　as　pure　art。　　It　may　be　that　there　are　some　peculiarly

constituted　persons　who；　before　they　have　advanced　far　into　the

depths　of　geometry；　find　artistic　beauty　about　it；　but；　taking　the

generality　of　mankind；　I　think　it　may　be　said　that；　when　they　begin

to　learn　mathematics；　their　whole　souls　are　absorbed　in　tracing　the

connection　between　the　premisses　and　the　conclusion；　and　that　to

them　geometry　is　pure　science。　　So　I　think　it　may　be　said　that

mechanics　and　osteology　are　pure　science。　　On　the　other　hand；

melody　in　music　is　pure　art。　　You　cannot　reason　about　it；　there　is

no　proposition　involved　in　it。　　So；　again；　in　the　pictorial　art；　an

arabesque；　or　a　〃harmony　in　grey；〃＇80＇　touches　none　but　the　aesthetic

faculty。　　But　a　great　mathematician；　and　even　many　persons　who　are

not　great　mathematicians；　will　tell　you　that　they　derive　immense

pleasure　from　geometrical　reasonings。　　Everybody　knows

mathematicians　speak　of　solutions　and　problems　as　〃elegant；〃　and

they　tell　you　that　a　certain　mass　of　mystic　symbols　is　〃beautiful；

quite　lovely。〃　　Well；　you　do　not　see　it。　　They　do　see　it；　because

the　intellectual　process；　the　process　of　comprehending　the　reasons

symbolised　by　these　figures　and　these　signs；　confers　upon　them　a

sort　of　pleasure；　such　as　an　artist　has　in　visual　symmetry。　　Take　a

science　of　which　I　may　speak　with　more　confidence；　and　which　is　the

most　attractive　of　those　I　am　concerned　with。　　It　is　what　we　call

morphology；　which　consists　in　tracing　out　the　unity　in　variety　of

the　infinitely　diversified　structures　of　animals　and　plants。　　I

cannot　give　you　any　example　of　a　thorough　aesthetic　pleasure　more

intensely　real　than　a　pleasure　of　this　kindthe　pleasure　which

arises　in　one's　mind　when　a　whole　mass　of　different　structures　run

into　one　harmony　as　the　expression　of　a　central　law。　　That　is　where

the　province　of　art　overlays　and　embraces　the　province　of

intellect。　　And；　if　I　may　venture　to　express　an　opinion　on　such　a

subject；　the　great　majority　of　forms　of　art　are　not　in　the　sense

what　I　just　now　defined　them　to　bepure　art；　but　they　derive　much

of　their　quality　from　simultaneous　and　even　unconscious　excitement

of　the　intellect。



When　I　was　a　boy；　I　was　very　fond　of　music；　and　I　am　so　now；　and　it

so　happened　that　I　had　the　opportunity　of　hearing　much　good　music。

Among　other　things；　I　had　abundant　opportunities　of　hearing　that

great　old　master；　Sebastian　Bach。　　I　remember　perfectly　well

though　I　knew　nothing　about　music　then；　and；　I　may　add；　know

nothing　whatever　about　it　nowthe　intense　satisfaction　and　delight

which　I　had　in　listening；　by　the　hour　together；　to　Bach's　fugues。

It　is　a　pleasure　which　remains　with　me；　I　am　glad　to　think；　but；　of

late　years；　I　have　tried　to　find　out　the　why　and　wherefore；　and　it

has　often　occurred　to　me　that　the　pleasure　derived　from　musical

compositions　of　this　kind　is　essentially　of　the　same　nature　as　that

which　is　derived　from　pursuits　which　are　commonly　regarded　as

purely　intellectual。　　I　mean；　that　the　source　of　pleasure　is

exactly　the　same　as　in　most　of　my　problems　in　morphologythat　you

have　the　theme　in　one　of　the　old　master's　works　followed　out　in　all

its　endless　variations；　always　appearing　and　always　reminding　you

of　unity　in　variety。　　So　in　painting；　what　is　called　〃truth　to

nature〃　is　the　intellectual　element　coming　in；　and　truth　to　nature

depends　entirely　upon　the　intellectual　culture　of　the　person　to

whom　art　is　addressed。　　If　you　are　in　Australia；　you　may　get　credit

for　being　a　good　artistI　mean　among　the　nativesif　you　can　draw

a　kangaroo　after　a　fashion。　　But；　among　men　of　higher　civilisation；

the　intellectual　knowledge　we　possess　brings　its　criticism　into　our

appreciation　of　works　of　art；　and　we　are　obliged　to　satisfy　it；　as

well　as　the　mere　sense　of　beauty　in　colour　and　in　outline。　　And　so；

the　higher　the　culture　and　information　of　those　whom　art　addresses；

the　more　exact　and　precise　must　be　what　we　call　its　〃truth　to

nature。〃



If　we　turn　to　literature；　the　same　thing　is　true；　and　you　find

works　of　literature　which　may　be　said　to　be　pure　art。　　A　little

song　of　Shakespeare　or　of　Goethe　is　pure　art；　it　is　exquisitely

beautifu