Mr, Owen on Education^ 383 



chemistry, at their spare hours, and contributing to the sup- 

 port of a hbrary. Our own men have had a hbrary for twent}' 

 months past, which is daily increasing; and they have just 

 started in connexion with it, a weekly lecture on philosophi- 

 cal subjects. A committee of ten are to lecture by turns, 

 from some popular text-book, and perform the simpler expe- 

 riments : by degrees 1 hope to see it yet a prosperous and 

 useful association. An introductory lecture was delivered to 

 them a few nights ago, by a medical friend, which, with a 

 reply by one of the workmen, and some prefatory matter, is 

 to be printed, and shall be sent to you. I know you will take 

 a deep interest in all such matters. 



20. Mr. Ocoen and his plans of Education. "^ — I was very 

 much gratified during four days that I spent at New Lanark 

 with Mr. Owen, by witnessing what an individual with com- 

 mon sense and a common education (without the aid of uni- 

 versities or colleges) can effect towards the happiness and 

 comforts of multitudes of his fellow-creatures. It is a severe 

 satire on the past, and furnishes well-grounded hopes for the 

 prosperity and happiness of future generations. 1 have been 

 long of Owen's opinion, that man is a bundle of habits — the 

 child of surrounding circumstances, and that education (the 

 only thing that can distinguish him from the brutes) was the 

 means of producing all the advantages his nature is capable of 

 receiving ; but the reforming of men after they are filled 

 with prejudices, former experience taught m.e to consider as a 

 task far beyond the reach of individual exertion ; and, wish- 

 ing to obtain at least partial success, I bestowed all my labour 

 in the attempt to reform the instruction of children, and am 

 highly delighted with the greo>t success Mr. O, has obtsined, 

 in the only fair and impartial experiment ever made on the 

 great mass of industrious producers of national wealth. 



That he has chosen a field of experiment, the freest from 

 impediments of any kind which the world affords, infinitely 

 increases my gratification. This is perhaps in part the result 

 of personal feeling ; as his exertions and energies will smooth 

 the road (even if he does not succeed) for some of my minor 

 plans; and if he should be successful with his gigantic im- 

 provements, 1 can have the less doubt of establishing some 

 of my comparatively unimportant principles. 



■■*= Extract of a letter from William Maclurc, Eso. to the Editor. 



