170 D. S. MARQOLIOUTH, D.LITT., F.B.A.^ ON THE FUTURE OF 



to different political systems. With this thoughtful and sug- 

 gestive writer All fear-imhihitions are had;* by settirg up an 

 arbitrary avd unexplained stardard of good ai d naughty you 

 supply the cMld with a bum die of inhibitions chiefly for the purpose 

 of concealmerit.'f His statenaents in illustration of the effect 

 which an explanation of the value of a lesson has on a child's 

 mind are surprising. He asserts that a boy who cannot as yet 

 see the use of elementary algebra or Latin grammar will jump 

 at a simple and rational explanation of the satisfaction that 

 they offer to his mind, the one in helping him to understand 

 relations apart from quantities, the other in making the essential 

 structure of language clear and definite. J If the objection be 

 urged that children are not interested in abstractions, he replies 

 that they are interested in nothing else.§ Other authorities 

 assert that abstractions leave the child cold,|| and this seems to 

 be attested by ordinary experience. 



The educational curriculum which could be deduced from the 

 theory of " social efficiency " being the aim, would take into 

 consideration two activities which will be demanded of each 

 citizen : that of armed defender or the equivalent, and that of 

 voter for parliamentary and municipal elections. Should the 

 war soon cease and be followed by a permanent peace, the former 

 activity would furnish little subject-matter ; but should it 

 continue indefinitely, and this appears to be at least a possibility, 

 the military aim of education would be emphasized. An 

 endeavour was made by Napoleon to organize general military 

 education, but as his rule terminated only a few years after its 

 introduction, it is probable that the experiment had no time to 

 work. At his schools, we are told, religion was hardly mentioned ; 

 political studies were altogether prohibited ; moral disquisitions 

 little regarded ; but geography, mathematics, mechanics, the 

 physical sciences, fortifications, gunnery, engineering, and 

 whatever was connected directly or indirectly with the art of 

 war, sedulously taught and encouraged.^ The latter part of this 

 programme would have to be reproduced if efficiency in actual 

 warfare became a normal need ; on the other hand, democratic 

 education is thought to require political studies, and a good 



* P. 239. t P- 244. X P. 20. § P. 243. 



II Sir Clifford AUbutt, cited by Mercier, op. cit, p. 32. Stout, The High 

 School, p. 106. 



^ Alison's History of Europe^ vii, 213. 



