PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 953 



them for himself. Aiul iu the same "way all his elementary know- 

 ledge, of whatever description, must be acquired. Much of this 

 is an acquisition earlier than language. It must be so, for lan- 

 guage is but symbolic of ideas, and signs will not be used until 

 there is something to be signified. In the earliest period of life, 

 therefore, oral teaching is impossible. No medium exists through 

 whioh it can ])e conveyed. The instructions of the parent or the 

 nurse must be limited to the endeavor to enlarge the child's voca- 

 bulary by associating in his mind visible objects or recognizable 

 expressions of emotion in the countenance or gesture, with the 

 sounds by which these are recalled in language. To attempt to 

 expound to him one word by the help of others is an absurdity 

 never thought of. And even after language has been acquired, 

 sufficient for the ordinary purposes of life, it holds for a long time 

 but a subordinate place as an instrument' of instruction. It may 

 be empfoyed Avith great effect to direct and assist the powers of 

 observation, but if relied on solely as a means of conveying new 

 ideas, the result cannot fail to be unsatisfactory. Objects, facts, 

 phenomena, must themselves be directly presented to the learner, 

 or there will be no substantial irrowth in knowledo;e. Seeinir 

 thus the absolute dependency of the child upon his own unaided 

 perceptive powers for all his earliest knowledge, and seeing to 

 how very great a degree he continues long to be dependent upon 

 the exercise of the same powers for his subsequent advancement, 

 wc easily recognize the admirable wisdom of that provision of the 

 Creator by which these powers, first of all and in the very dawn 

 of life, spontaneously awaken, and manifest afterwards through 

 all the earlier years of existence an activity which never tires, and 

 which will not be repressed. 



NoAV, I hold it to be the first principle of a sound educational 

 philosoph}^, that the powers of the mind should be subjected to 

 culture in the most natural order ; and what I understand by 

 natural order, is the order in which the powers unfold themselves 

 when they are subjected to no artificial control at all. If this is 

 not the test of what is natural, then we have no test. And I sup- 

 pose that the reason why we should follow nature, is because 

 nature will thus most willingly follow us. The tasks we impose 

 will be pleasing, because they will be adapted to the strength. 

 The learner will easilj' submit himself to our guidance, because we 

 take him in the direction in which he is already inclined to go. 



