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MORAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES
IN THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Digest
of

1. Lectures by Dr. William Heard Kilpatrick.
2. Reports on workshops held in certain teacher-training
institutions during the summer of 1951.

Published by

DEPARTMENT OF' EDUCATION

Wendell P. Butler
Superintendent of Public Instruction

ISSUED MONTHLY

Entered as second-class matter March 21, 1933, at the post office at
Frankfort, Kentucky, under the Act of August 24, 1912.

Vol. XIX February, I952 No. 12

ln 1951 tlw Kant
'ml \Elll‘ws in l‘lrlllt‘z
rmulation, and initi
age of extension.
“age: (1) the incorp‘
M tlw inturwnizr

Ly
(1

.\
« llwpartmmxl is“ u
«ﬁnals; (‘3) tho 'mmn
121111 for tlw [)1'ol'ma543
.Ihis arm by tho 1'
H». Murray H1211 v (‘
Tmhlvky Slate (V‘th
"me srrviw ol' Mr.
i‘uu'rum. The total (
:wnrrmts grant of 1
This Bulletin on
Lllmo six toavhor—w
{11m sparr (loos not
"Mmrrni rrports he
'al‘y to make the w

, Chat was arrolnplisl

Hurt, of the lli;1'l1]2x
W'partmvut is great
fur hrr Valuable SM'V

Several of the i1
Heard Kilpatriok a
frriods.

Since the sumo
i1)iritual values in tl
Meme, and convict
:he inclusion of this
ﬁll‘ators and teaohe‘

The thanks of
I‘Ectors, and Assista
‘The administrator a]
Trade the results he

FORE\VORD

in 1951 the Kentucky Program ol’ Emphasis on Moral and Spir-

'iml Values in Education passed l‘roni its ﬁrst stage ol’ exploration,
Emulation, and initial experimentation and entered upon its second
lage of extension. Three major events have marked this second
'age: (1) the incorporation olT the results of the ﬁrst two workshops
iiulthe intervening year oi? experinientation in the pilot schools into
it} Department‘s (.‘nrrieulum (lnide t'or elementary and secondary
wheels; (2) the ineorpmation ot' seminars or \\'orkshops into the pro~
helm for the professional preparation of administrators and teachers
.i this area by the l'niversity of Kentucky, the University of Louis-
ille. Murray State (.‘olleg'e, \Vestern Kentucky State College, Eastern
initueky State College, and Morehead State College; and (3) half
time service of Mr. 41'. Mansir 'l‘ydings for field supervision of the
ji‘ograin. The total expense of his service is being made possible by
it’t‘nerous grant of the hilly l‘lndownient. lne., of Indianapolis.

? This Bulletin contains a report of the seminars and workshops
ﬁll these six teacher-edueation institutions during the summer of 195].

time spare does not permit the detailed report from each institution,

‘he several reports have been digested with as much detail. as is neces-

‘31'." to make the report a signiﬁcant record and interpretation of
[that was accomplished, ’l‘hese digests were made by Mrs. Mary F.
Burt, of the Highlands High School of Ft. Thomas, to whom the
Department is greatly indebted and to whom it extends its thanks
ltl‘ hrr valuable service.

Several of the institutions were fortunate in having Dr. William
Heard Kilpatrick as special lecturer and consultant for limited
periods.

‘ Since the success of a program of emphasis upon moral and
Splritual values in the schools depends upon the understanding, com—
[tetencg and convictions of superintendents, principals, and teachers,
,1th inClusion of this area in the professional preparation of admin-
,lstrators and teachers assumes utmost importance.

The thanks of the Department are due to the Presidents, Di-
:WOI‘S, and Assistants of the teacher-education institutions, and to
the administrator and teacher participants whose contributions have
made the results herein recorded possible.

WENDELL P. BUTLER,

Superintendent of Public Tnstruetion

1159

INTRODUCTION

The State of Kentucky was very fortunate in having Dr. William
Heard Kilpatrick, Professor Emeritus of Teachers College, Columbia
University, as consultant in four of the seminars on Moral and Spir-
itual Values in Education held in four of the teacher-education insti-'
tutions during the summer of 1951. These were the University of
Kentucky, the University of Louisville, \Vestern State College, and
Eastern State College.

The offering of these seminars in Moral and Spiritual Values for
teachers in service and for teachers in preparation in the public
teacher-education institutions marks a signiﬁcant step of far-reaching,r
implications in the development of the Kentucky Program of Moral
and Spiritual Values in Education. The ﬁrst phase, represented by
the workshops held co-operatively by the public teacher-education
institutions of the state at the University of Kentucky in 1949 and
1950 and the intervening experimentation in the pilot schools, was
concerned with the working out of a basic philosophy, the formula-
tion of procedures, and initial experimentation.

The movement has now entered upon its second phase—that of
incorporation into the program of the State Department. of Educa-
tion, extension to other than experimental schools, and the prepara-
tion of teachers for emphasis upon moral and spiritual values in the
total school program. In this further development, nothing is more
important than the preparation of teachers for dealing intelllﬂt’nﬂy
and effectively with this emphasis.

Dr. Kilpatrick has occupied throughout his long and distin-
guished teaching career a position of unique importance in the modern
development of educational theory and teaching procedure. He 15
known to teachers throughout the United States and the world; and
his influence upon educational thought and practice has been PTO"
found. His deep interest in the moral and spiritual ends of educa-
tion has long been known and ﬁnds its fullest and most impresswe
expression in his Philosophy of Education, published just priOI‘ '90 h1s
visit to Kentucky. Through the lectures digested in this Bulletin and
his conferences with working groups in the seminars he has helped
us to clarify and establish our basic philosophy and further to 93'
amine and elaborate our procedures.

“()0

For those who it

:oped that these digr

‘l‘tlSlOllS on which th

and of their conter

.ear the lectures deli‘
nth the spirit and t1

Dr. Kilpatrick’s
ith a nation—wide e
lis Bulletin to him
Tstinguished career 1

Dr. William
e, Columbia
ll and Spir-
eation insti-
niversity ol’
)‘ollege, and

l Values for
the publie
iar-reaehing
m of Moral
resented by
uneducation
n 1949 and
iehools, was
he formula-

lse—that of
z of Eduea-
he prepara-
alues in the
ing is more
ntelligently

and distin-
the modern
are. He is
world, and
3 been pr0-
.s of educa-
impressive
prior to his
Eulletin and
has helped
'ther to ex-

"cram
”F,

For those who were fortunate enough to hear the lectures it is
aped that these digests will help to recover the inspiration of the
‘l‘llSlOllS on which they were delivered and to provide an intelligible,
end of their content. For those who were not fortunate enough to
ear the lectures delivered, it is hoped that these digests may eonvey
nth the spirit and the content of the spoken word.

l)r. Ix'ilpatriek’s eiglitieth birthday was observed last November
i111 a nation—wide eeleln'ntion, Kentueky is honored in dedieating
iis Bulletin to him in view of this significant event in the long and
stiuguished eareer of one of Aineriea’s most outstanding edueators.

“TILLI‘AM CLAYTON B()\VER

1161

CERTA'

(NOTE: Since th
notes without forma
impossible to achiex
writing, as in his Phi
conveying his thoug
closely followed—TI

There are cert:
school does. One is
civilization we mean
ceive to be the wor
the intermediate a
traits necessary an
bringing the worth
rim which has to d
sufﬁcient to build 1
desired civilization
working eoneeptior
pursues all three a
moral and spiritua
analysis and to stm
school.

We may begii
three highly signii
John Dewey defin
taken to have righ‘
the source of. \"dhlt
source of values. .
Better and worse,
illg only in referE
more satisfying 0r
riition is not, in t}
18 valuable beeaus<
illg or impulse of
Worth or the good
Say that a value :
found worthy of r
and come out with
Value.

Part I

CERTAIN INTRODUCTORY PRINCIPLES

(NOTE: Since the following digests were made from Dr. Kilpatrick’s
notes without formal elaboration under the several headings, it has been
impossible to achieve the grace of style that characterizes his formal
writing, as in his Philosophy of Education. For the purpose of accurately
conveying his thought, the language of the outline headings has been
closely followed—The Editor)

There are certain aims which do, and must, control all that the
school does. One is the remote aim which has to do with the kind of
civilization we mean to support and seek, arising out of what we con-
ceive to be the worthy life, socially and individually. The second is
the intermediate aim which has to do with the personal character
traits necessary and sufficient to effect the desirable civilization, by
bringing the worthy life to and for all. The third is the immediate
him which has to do with the teaching—learning process necessary and
sufﬁcient to build the needed traits and so support and promote the
desired civilization and worthy living. The effective teacher has a
Working conception of the proper content of each of these aims and
pursues all three aims at the same time. Our problem is to see how
moral and spiritual values ﬁt into the foregoing inclusive educational

analysis and to study together how to pursue these values in the public
school.

We may begin by clarifying for our purposes the meaning of
three highly signiﬁcant terms: “value,” “moral,” and “spiritual."
John Dewey defines value as “The word to designate whatever is
liken to have rightful authority in the direction of conduct.” As to
the source of values, E. L. Thorndike says, “\Nants arc the ultimate
Source of values. . . . Things are not good and bad for no reason.
Better and worse, worthy and harmful, right and wrong, have mean—
111g only in reference to conscious beings whose lives can be made
more satisfying or more bearable. . . . A thing or event or act or con-
fiition is not, in the last analysis, desirable because it is valuable. It
is valuable because it is desirable—because it satisﬁes a want or crav—
"1s 01' impulse of some man or other conscious being. . . . Value or
“'Orth or the good means power to satisfy wants.” I should myself
say that a value is a want which has been critically evaluated and
fol111d worthy of choice. When I think through a conflict of wants

and come out with a criticized result, that result has for me become a
Value.

1163

The concept of “moral” and “morality” has its primitive origin
in trial and error in which it appears in what Sumner termed “folk-
ways” in the form of habit, routine, and skill. When folkways are
developed to the point where there is regard for what is deemed right
they become what Sumner terme( “mores.” In the development of
morals self-consciousness plays an important part in that it permits
a conscious and critical adherence to right, and this attitude is in-
corporated into the culture. It is at this critical level that true mor-
ality is achieved, as actually happened in Athenian thought. Thus
personal morality arose, and, in its fully elaborated form, Ethics.
Conscious mo *ality is then the settled conscious obligation and will so
to act as to promote and foster the good life in all persons affected
by one’s conduct, and to do this as well as possible, all things con-
sidered; negatively. not to hurt or lessen the good life f0' any; posi—
tively, to foster and promote the good life in all persons affected to
the fullest degree that wisdom and justice demand and/0' approve.
Each individual is under positive obligation to make every reasonable
effort to ﬁnd out what is the right of each particular situation he. faces
and to live up honestly to the best he has thus found as right. So to
live and act is moral; failure thus to live at any point is wrong and
immoral.

In considering the meaning of the concept of the spiritual we are
entering upon what has been considered controversial grounds. Bll'f
as I understand that your Kentucky program is based upon the com-
plete separation of church and state, we can avoid most, if not all: the
controversy.

‘Vebster defines the spiritual as “1. Of, pertaining to, or con-
sisting of spirit; not material; incorporeal; as a spiritual mbsmlm
or being. 2. Of or pertaining to the intellectual and higher endow-
ments of the mind; mental; intellectual; also, highly refilled “1
thought and feeling. 3. Of or pertaining to the moral feelings “1'
states of the soul, as distinguished from external actions; reaching and
affecting the spirit.” These are the three original meaning“S off the
term. J. L. Childs says, “By spiritual l mean those ways 0f 1mm:
and thinking which undergird and contribute to the dignlt-V and
worth of human personality. Nothing that degrades the life. of the
individual man can be considered spiritual; nothing that enriches it
can be considered unspiritual.” The Seventh Yearbook of the John
Dewey Society affirms that “The spiritual values of civilization “'61'0

1164

ﬁrst sensed by the
deepest moments, in
then so far discove
values: moral insigl
personality whereve
to guide study and
ﬁned thought and f
lshould say that pi
established mores.

But the more com
“active spirit” of
The “spirit” can

take far more into

Morality is a
individual to socie
\‘idual need consic
eluding family and
rally, each is born
tinuing care the int
ration depends on
does so because ot
liveth to himself.
lierited we had all
enjoys comes from
self-consciously, (lf
ing others in term:
standing one ’s seli
builds a self-other
and action.

Out of this SE
line‘s self as other
planning and erit
scionsly and inten'
that to Show what
has been achieved
110the done and t
learn accountabil:
ought. to do. He
build a conscience

nitive origin
krmed “folk.
iolkways are,
leemed right
'elopment of
Lt it permits
titude is in-
at true Inor-
tught. Thus
)rm, Ethics.
. and will so
ons affected
things con-
' any; posi-
; affected to
or approve.
.7 reasonable
ion he faces
right. So to
wrong and

itnal we are
)unds. But
on the coni-
not all, the

to, or con-
] substance
'her endow-
refined in
feelings or
‘aehing and
ings of the
rs of living
.ignity and
life of the
enriches it
if the John
nation were

ﬁrst sensed by the supreme spiritual masters of the world in their
deepest moments, being conceived as the best available ways of living
then so far discovered among men. . . . Certain essential spiritual
values: moral. insight, integrity of thought and act; regard for human
personality wherever found; faith in the free play of intelligence both
to guide study and to direct action; and finally those values of re-
ﬁned thought and feeling requisite to bring life to its ﬁnest quality.”
lshould say that primitive man reduced his few recurring conflicts to
established mores. A higher stage reduced these to written codes.
But the more complex and shifting a civilization, the more is the
”active spirit” of morality needed rather than the letter of a code.
The “spirit” can be more discerning and discriminating, and can
take far more into account.

Morality is a social necessity. lt inheres in the relation of the
individual to society. Some seem to think and act as if the indi—
vidual need consider only himself and his particular interests, in-
rlnding family and friends. This idea will not bear scrutiny. Physi-
cally, each is born of two parents. And after birth without their con-
tinuing care the individual would starve to death. Beyond this, civili-
zation depends on division of labor, so that anyone who lives well.
does so because others contribute. It is literally true that no man
liveth to himself. Culturally, except for what we have socially in-
herited we had all been beasts. What each mostly is and does and
“DJOyS comes from the culture. Our very selfhoocl, the ability to think
self-consciously, depends on our living with others. By understand
illg others in terms of what one has ﬁrst seen in one 7s self, by under-
standing one ’s self in terms of what one has first seen in others one
builds a self-other compounded selfhood or center of understanding
a11d action.

Out of this self-other selfliood comes self-eonseiousness or seeing
“110‘s self as others see it. Out of self—eonsciousness comes conscious
lll‘amlhltr and critical study. A child thus learns to do things eon-
‘WOUSLV and intentionally and nothing at this stage is more gratifying
that to Show what he can do. \Vhen such power of conscious doing
has been achieved, mother intervenes to say that some things must
not be done and that others must be done. Thus the child begins to
learn accountability and to hold himself responsible for What he
“Ught. to do. He is now beginning to learn right and wrong and to

build a conseience and sense of ought.

1165

But all these, along with self-consciousness, depend upon the self.
other selfhood. Language and the guidance of older persons helps the
child to grow in these things. All of these achievements depend upon
the individual ’s association with others and upon the contributi01 s
made by culture. Mom at his best “is possible because of what others
contribute.

II
FURTHER FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

How shall we think of the life good to live often called the
good life?

The longer wording is preferable lest some should think the term
“good” refers to the morally good life. Morality is an essential part
and factor of the good life, but not its definition. The definition is
the other way around; the good life defines morality. Til the life good
to live the word “good” refers to the eonsuiinnatorj.r good, that which
is good to the consumer for its intended purpose. as good music is
good to hear, a good apple is good to eat, and a good plough is one
that plows well for the farmers purposes.

There are ﬁve psychological bases of good living. The ﬁrst is
the satisfaction of wants. The more strongly the want is felt, the
greater is the satisfaction. The second is the satisfaction that comes
from effort. As \Villiam .l'ames remarked, “\Vherever a process of
life comn'iunieates an eageri'iess to him that lives it, there the lifC
becomes genuinely signiﬁcant. . . . There is the zest, the tingle, the
excitement of reality.” The third is the growth of an enterprise
under effort. The fourth is variety. The fifth is the satisfaction of
living up to one ’s standards.

Certain constituents of the good life to live include: physical
health, mental health arising from a well adjusted personality, satis-
fying personal relationships, the chance to choose, meaningful work
versus either drudgery or mere leisure. the chance to create, the
“leading on” quality of life, range of interests, the esthetic satis-
faction which comes from living up to one’s ideals. adequate social
arrangements, an adequate philosophy of life, a cause worthy and
able to call for one ’s supreme devotion.

. . . . - - . ' "2
From these cons1derat10ns of the nature of the lite 200d l0 .1”
. .. . . . ‘ - - us

emerge the follownlg dehnltions. First, morality is the (30115010

1166

guiding of one’s act:
affected. Second, d(
by letting them run
learning as best to 1:
in all Whom he affe

And how shall

One way is to tl
to conceive of den
nnment by kings a]
il'lled, and rule by ]
the rights of the mi:

Another way to
iiption involves f iw
liam James called ‘
social institutions, i
individual, not he t'
in which freedom is
11mm freedom for
means “freedom in
iach his own man.’
aprimary human in
may is the glory of
the free man of. nat
ll‘eedom, Locke ren
natural freedom, W
any other man. . . .
according to his ow
able to instruct hin
him know how far
John Morley : ‘ ‘ The
of using our minds
our lives without 11
accepted principle '
Which has the sma‘

The second pr?
Tiths for all and
fPeedom. As Shot‘
”lullibrium among
“tan Angell has rel‘

)on the self. guiding of one’s acts so as to bring the best possible good life to all
us helps the affected. Second, democracy is the effort to bring the good life to all
,epend upon by letting them run it. Third, education is the effort so to guide
mtributiom learning as best to promote the good life both for the individual and
what others for all. whom he affects.

And how shall we think of democracy?

One way is to think of democracy as a form of government. This

Esto conceive of democracy as government by the citizens versus gov—

vnnnent by kings and nobles, government by the consent of the gov-

ealled the med, and rule by majority under a constitution designed to protect
lhe rights of the minority.

”k “1"“ tern] Another way to think of democracy is as a way of life. This con. l

sential part irption involves five fundamental principles. The ﬁrst is what Wil-

lefnntion l“ llﬂm James ealled “the sovereignty of the living individual.” All ‘l
he life 900‘] social institutions, including the state, exist to express and serve the ‘3‘
that “"l‘l‘ill individual, not he them. This means respect for personality as such, l
”1 1111510 15 in which freedom is assumed, limited only by the principle of nlaXi- l
”19h ‘5 ”“0 lmnn freedom for all. As ll. ll. Mencken has suggested, freedom ‘

means “freedom in thought, the liberty to try and err, the right to be ,
lach his own man.” As \Vhitehead has said, “Freedom of action is 1
aPrimary human need. ” Long ago Plato said, “Freedom in a democ- l

, l
l‘he. first is l
. . . Il

Hey is the glory of the state, and, therefore, only 111 a democracy Will i

is felt, the
that comes
process of
re the life
tingle, the
enterprise
s‘l’aetion of

the free man of nature dcign to dwell.” In his discussion of natural if
freedom, Locke remarked “that equal right every man hath to his ‘
natural freedom, without being subjected to the will or authority of i;
any Other man. . . . The freedom then of man, and liberty of acting ,i
Wording to his own will, is grounded on his having reason, which is J
lllle to instruct him in that law he is to govern himself by, and make
. 111111 know how far he is left to the freedom of his own will.” So also
' 2. Plli'h‘ltiﬁl John Morley: “The right. of thinking freely and acting independently, ..
{hi-‘3 satis- 0f using our minds without excessive awe of authority, and shaping

lgful “Wk ”111‘ lives without unquestioning obedience to custom, is now a ﬁnally
:reate, the accepted principle in some sense or other with every school of thought .

. '. atis- ,- -

let” S . lthh has the smallest chance of commanding the future.”

uate S0t'lal 3
Will." “Md The second principle of democracy as a way of life is equality of l

lights for all and special privileges for none. Thus, equality limits
Il'WlOm. As Shotwell has put it, “Freedom is another name for that u 3
Equilibrium among the needs of all which we call justice.” As Nor-
nan Angell has remarked, “When all demand complete freedom, none

md to live
conscious

1167

has any.’ So also Burke: “The only liberty I mean is a liberty con-
nected with order; that not only exists along with order and virtue,
but which cannot exist at all without them.” And John Milton: “None
can love freedom heartily but good men; the rest love not freedom but
license.” Equality also means equality of suffrage as set forth in
the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-
evident; that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by
their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these
rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just
powers from the Consent of the governed.” Equality also means
“equality of conditions,” as DeTocqueville noted in his observations
on American life: “The more I advanced in the study of American
society, the more I perceived that the equality of conditions is the
fundamental fact from which all others seem to be derived, and the
central point at which all my observations constantly terminated."
To the same effect John Dewey has remarked: “Demoeracy has many
meanings,~but if it has a moral meaning, it is found in resolving that
the supreme test of all political institutions and industrial arrange-
ments shall be in the contribution they make to the all-round gI‘OWth
of every member of society.”

Other fundamental principles of democracy as a way of life are,
third, that rights imply duties; fourth, co-operation for the common
good (disregard of which is perhaps our chief sin); and ﬁfth, faith
in the play of free intelligence which involves the method of free dis-
cussion versus the use of force and violence. This principle is well
exPressed in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this
right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to
seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and
regardless of frontiers.” To the same effect John Milton: “Give me
the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to con-
science, above all liberties.” And Thomas Jefferson: ”Reason and
free inquiry are the only effective agents against error.” Also John
Dewey: “There is but one sure road of access to truth—the road of
co-operative inquiry by means of observation, experiment, and con-
trolled reﬂection.” I should say that honest minds are dangerous to
nobody bUt the demagogs. Only by absolute freedom to think and
speak can men dare hope for a permanently better world.

But democracy as a way of life presents two moral PTObIPmS

1168

which overlap. The
titles of nobility in
«tonomic scale accor
others and we “lool
others.

Evils exist in 0
status depends too
testral merits or ant
the “out group,” as
iobad while if one
that; a tendency to
vice to its own hur
against certain min
group at a low plac

. In this matter
'may show hereditar
logical features, tho
that are not envirt
every professed rel
diseriminations tro
against us by our e1

The second pro
in the tendency of
hihit bias against cc
and Japanese; in t
‘d‘g‘dillst lrish Catho'
immigrant groups.
under obligation to
he would like to be
solved gradually; o

If we are conct
understand how th
Whatever people n1
learned moral and
111g and experience

liberty COD-
and virtue,
ton: “None
?reedom but
iet forth in
. to be self-
:ndowed by
g these are
ecure these
; their just
also means
rbservations
E American
ions is the
ad, and the
rminated. "
v has many
olving that
al arrange-
rnd growth

of life are,
1e common
ﬁfth, faith
)f free dis-
ple is well
in Rights:
ssion; this
see and to
media and
“Give me
ng to con—
,eason and
Also John
3e road of
. and con-
.1gerous to
think and

problems

which overlap. The first is the socio-economic scale. True, we have no
titles of nobility in the United States, but we still do have a socio-
rtOnOlﬂlC scale according to which some families “stand higher” than
there and we “look up to” some people while we “look down” on

others.

Evils exist in our present scale. Among these are the fact that
status depends too little on personal merit and too much on an-
testral merits or ancestral inferior status; the disposition to prejudge
the “out group,” asserting that if one of our group does wrong “he”
is bad while if one of the out-group does wrong “they” are all like
that; a tendency to let the lowest group perpetuate its ignorance and
vice to its own hurt and at positive cost to all the rest; prejudice
against certain minority groups and a tendency to fasten all of the
group at a low place on the scale.

In this matter eertain facts are to be considered; while families
may Show hereditary traits and racial groups show outward physio-
logical features, there are no known psychological race differences
that are not environmental; present discriminations go counter to
“W." professed religion, the Golden Rule, and democracy; present
tliseriminatitms trouble our foreign friends while they are used
at’ainst us by our enemies all over the world.

. The second problem is that of group prejudice. This shows itself
in the tendency of white Protestant and old stock Americans to ex-
llibit bias against certain minority groups; in the \Vest against Chinese
and Japanese; in the Southwest against Mexicans, in the Northeast
tE‘dinst Irish Catliolies, and all. over against Negroes, Jews, and recent
mnnigrant groups. This constitutes a very serious problem. \Ve are
tillder obligation to study it and ask ourselves what is right and how
We would like to be so treated. Some parts of this problem have to be
501V“ gradually; other parts can be improved sooner.

III
THE LEARNING PROCESS

If We are concerned about moral and spiritual values, we have to
llndeI'stand how they are acquired. At the outset we may say that
Whatever people may say about books and their contents, one has not
ltarned moral and spiritual values until he behaves that way. Learn-
mg and experience go hand in hand. In fact, learning is an essential

1169

ingredient of each extended conscious experience. Unless learning
goes on in and from experience, the experience itself could not as such
take place.

In the ease of book learning, the older reliance (before the in-
ﬂuence of Pestalozzi began to be felt), was rote memory and for this
the eatechetieal method was judged best. As S. G. Goodrich put it:
“The questions should be numerous and the answers short. If the
answer is long, it is generally hard to be committed, harder to be re-
tained, often but imperfectly comprehended. . . In this case the
child generally learns words rather than ideas.” Contentment with
this catechetical rote memory astonishes us now. Until the 17th
century pupils studied Latin in a book written in Latin with no
thought at first of what the words meant. This held sway until
Comenius (1592-1670). The same held for the Chinese until around
1906 and until recently in Hebrew. Indeed, understanding of what
was learned was hardly, if at all, expected. An American English
grammar of 1845 said: “Memorize first and then understand.” The
test of whether this older method of learning had taken place, was the
ability to give back on demand in recitation or examination what the
book or the teacher had told.

This older book learning rested upon four assumptions: it was
supposed to fill an otherwise empty mind; repetition would fill the
mind and fix it there; enough of such learning would give effective
intelligence; and appropriate conduct would follow. None of these
assumptions we now accept, except in a sense and degree the Piaf“
of repetition in learning.

In the case of learning to behave, as in the case of book learnint’v
repetition, it was believed, would sufﬁce, irrespective of attitude. AO-
cording to a writer of 1839: “The Manual Labor System is moreover
calculated to promote the habits of industry, frugality and economy.
\Vhatever is frequently repeated, by the influence of that repe'ﬁimn
upon a law of our constitution, becomes a habit, and if originally Of'
fensive loses by degrees that offensiveness, and becomes not only easy
and agreeable, but even desirable.” According to Our Sunday Visth',
“If he does it the ﬁrst time, whether he wants to or not, he will do
it the second time because he wants to, and the third time whether he
wants to or not.” This method entirely ignored antagoniStic learn-
ings and other concomitant learnings.

1170

The new conce]
older (I call it Ale:
learning is an inevi
It takes place in th
example, Mary hear
pertinently. John z
mark support his ﬁ
versation. Again,
some. Again, Mar:
tell