The Altruistic Type of Government '22'] 



which imposes on governmental activity a duty, revealed in 

 previous study as an altruistic factor in associated conduct. 

 This is the duty of free education. Its expediency lies in 

 its power to keep people and government in harmony. Its 

 beneficence is in the fact of its distribution of the advan- 

 tages of knowledge, to those who are unable alone to achieve 

 them. The work of exterminating ignorance is practiced 

 by altruistic government with the same advantage as the 

 extermination of disease, and is an extension of the same 

 co-operative principle, just as that was an extension of the 

 idea of united action against beasts of prey. And its place 

 in social science, as a concept of duty, is only a little different 

 from the place it begins to take as an expedient for the 

 general good. A perception of this kind of good, arising 

 out of existing practice, and not above the ideals of a people, 

 is therefore, in actual life, found to be the strongest quality 

 of leadership applicable to free peoples. But clearly this is 

 evolution of a self-government, far removed, and essentially 

 different, from government or education by supreme wisdom 

 of divine origin. Clearly too, it would be absurd for a people 

 to look for any divinely supreme guidance through that 

 power which it daily proceeds more and more purposely, to 

 hold under its own control. So it comes to be settled that 

 religious teaching must be separated from the educational 

 program of the government, and there is no moral education 

 by the nation, or state, or municipality; it is left, as a depart- 

 ment of religious teaching to the various churches; and is 

 free and not compelled, following the rule, perceived in 

 altruism generally that aid must be acceptable; and it is 

 most unfortunately ineffective in consequence. 



