霍勒斯ˇ曼
(HORACE MANN)

公立学校的状况
The Case for Public Schools

教育是人类创造的所有设施中最了不起的人类条件均衡器ˇ是社会机器上的平衡轮。

当年轻的民族成长时ˇ各个社区都有责任决定爲其儿童提供多少学校教育。在许多地区ˇ学校教学质量低下、老师未受到良好的培训ˇ体罚ˇˇ普遍。

马萨诸塞州的立法机构ˇ应改革者们于1837年提出的要求ˇ创立了州教育委员会。该委员会聘请霍勒斯ˇ曼(1796ˇ1859)任其秘书。在霍勒斯ˇ曼任秘书的11年间ˇ曼领导了旨在改善教育的改革运动。于1848年ˇ曼辞去该职ˇ进入国会ˇ成爲国会内废奴主义的斗士。后来ˇ他出任俄亥俄州安蒂奥克学院的院长。在他逝世前两个月ˇ曼劝告该学院的四年级学生说ˇ“我恳求你们将我临终前的这些话珍藏在心里ˇ只有当你爲人类赢得某种胜利后ˇ你才死而无憾。”

本文摘自曼于1848年写给马萨诸塞教育委员会的最后一份报告。报告陈述了他的信条。在美国普及教育ˇ使其成爲免费的、非宗教性的、人道的和全民的教育斗争中ˇ他的名字成了这场斗争的同义词。

……根据欧洲人的理论ˇ人划分爲阶级ˇˇ有的人辛勤劳作ˇ挣钱糊口ˇ另一些人则强取豪夺ˇ挥霍ˇ受。根据马萨诸塞的理论ˇ人人都有同样的挣钱机会ˇ都有同样的权利ˇ受他们的劳动所得。后者有助于平等条件的形成ˇ而前者则有造成最严里的不平等的倾ˇ。……

我建议ˇ凡是将仁爱与政治经济观念联系在一起的人都应当具有同样的观念ˇ即巨大的、盛气凌人的私有财産是共和国人民的幸福可能面临的最大危ˇ之一。这种财産将造成新的封建主义ˇ一种比中世纪的封建主义更具压迫性、更残酷的封建主义。ˇ在ˇ大部分外国制造商和资本家将他们的技术工人和工人所置于的境地ˇ其凄惨程度远远超过当年英国和欧洲大陆的封建君主们将他们的仆人所置于的奴役状态。尽管他们使用的手段不同ˇ但其结果却具有惊人的ˇ似之处。过去靠的是权力ˇ而ˇ在靠的是金钱。……

ˇ在ˇ除了全民教育之外ˇ别无其它能够抵ˇ这种资本统治和奴役劳工倾ˇ的途径。如果一个阶级占有所有的财富和教育ˇ而社会上的其它成员却是无知、贫穷的ˇ那麽他们之间的关系被看成什麽都无关紧要ˇ事实上ˇ后者确实将成爲前者的奴仆和臣民。但是ˇ如果教育是均衡地分 布的话ˇ教育将成爲所有吸引力中最强大的吸引力ˇ将把财富带给人们ˇ因爲一个聪明和实干的人从来不曾、也不可能永远贫穷。当财富与劳动分属于不同的阶级时ˇ它们在本质上是对抗性的ˇ但是ˇ当财富与劳动同属于一个阶级时ˇ它们在本质上则是情同兄弟的。马萨诸塞的人民在某种程度已经领悟到了这个真理。本州岛的空前繁荣ˇˇ生活的舒适、可观的收入、总体智力和道德水平ˇˇ全得归功于本州岛或多或少是完美的教育。本州岛人人都受到了教育。但是ˇ人们是否意识到一个同样重要的事实?ˇˇ也就是ˇ本州岛人口的三分之二得感激本州岛的教育ˇ因爲是教育使他们今日未ˇ当今欧洲下层人民那样被野蛮而又强暴地束缚于暴政之下ˇ成爲以资本形式出ˇ的暴政的奴仆。教育是人类创造的所有设施中最了不起的人类条件均衡器ˇ是社会机器上的平衡轮。我这里不是说教育已经将人们的道德本质提高到了不屑并且憎恶对同胞的剥ˇ的程度。这属于教育的另一种属性。我指的是教育赋予每个人独立性和手段ˇ人们可以藉以抵制别人的自私。这比ˇ除穷人对富人的敌意效果好ˇ因爲它使人们不至于闹穷。……通过扩大受教育的阶级或阶层来普及教育ˇ将开创出一个更广阔的天地。在这天地里ˇ社会中的各种情绪将得以缓解。一旦教育成爲全民的和全面的ˇ它将能最有效地ˇ除社会中各种人爲的差异。

一些政治改革家和革命家的信条中的主要观点ˇ有些人闹穷ˇ是因爲其它人富有。这种观点认爲ˇ社会财富是一定的ˇ由于采取欺骗或暴力的手段ˇ或由于专断的法律ˇ这些财富的分配是不平均的ˇ需要解决的问题是如何将这些财富中的一部分从那些据说是过于富有的人手中转移到那些感到并且知道自己是过于贫穷的人手中。就这一点来说ˇ他们的理论及其前景是改革的中止。然而ˇ教育的改善力是永不枯竭的ˇ即使它以和平方武ˇ除了那些由于巨大的财富与悲惨的贫困并存而造成的一切悲哀ˇ它仍然不会枯竭。教育具有更高的功能。它除了具有分配原有的财富的能力之外ˇ还具有创造新财富的特殊能力。与欺行诈骗ˇ比ˇ它能创造成千倍的利润ˇ与最成功的领土侵占ˇ比ˇ它能成千倍增加民族的资源。流氓、窃贼只能攫取原先由别人占有的财富。但是ˇ教育却能创造或开拓新的财富ˇˇ那些未曾爲人所占有或梦ˇ到的财富。……

如果一个未开化的人能够学会游泳ˇ他就能在脖子上挂上十二磅重的东西ˇ把它送过一条小河ˇ或送过其它中等宽度的水域。如果他发明了斧子或其它工具ˇ就能用它砍倒一棵树ˇ将树作爲浮体ˇ用他的一只手或脚作爲桨ˇ就能运送许多倍 于原先重量的东西ˇ而且运送的距离也将是从前的许多倍。如果掏空树干ˇ就可以增加其可以称作是吨位或磅位的载重能力。而且ˇ通过ˇ尖两端ˇ它就能更轻松地劈水ˇ更快地前进。把几棵树捆绑在一起ˇ他便造成一个木筏ˇ从而增加了尚处于胚胎状态的船舶的浮力。如果将带有小孔的两端ˇ上翘起ˇ或者使用肋材而不是笔直的本板ˇ并且通过开槽将肋材拼在一起ˇ或者用某种填料将其空隙封起使其不透水ˇ那麽他也就把粗陋的木筏变成了名副其实的船体了。通过改进船体水下部分ˇ并在船体上安装上风帆ˇ他就成了令人骄傲的商人ˇ让风将他从一个大陆送往另一个大陆。但是ˇ即使如此ˇ还不能使具有冒ˇ精神的海运设计师满意。他用钢铁制作船体的框架ˇ用铁轮来代替桨ˇ带来了速度上的革命ˇ而且使他的舱比大海还要强大。他在船体的钢铁四壁内ˇ安装上庞大、有力、与火有不解之缘的钢铁机器ˇ点燃机器内的一座小型火山。于是ˇ这出自他双手的绝妙创造物便假有知觉、有理情的生灵一样ˇ劈波破浪ˇ不畏风暴ˇ载着充满活力、兴高采烈的乘客周游全球。如果抛开造船师的智慧ˇ那麽人类艺术的奇迹ˇˇ汽轮ˇ便将沦落回一块飘浮着的木头ˇ甚至连这木头本身也将丧失殆尽ˇ只剩下那未开化的游泳者ˇ背上驮着十二磅重的东西。

这不仅仅在一个部门是如此ˇ在人类各个劳动部门都是如此。就ˇ太阳的毁灭必将带来黑暗一样ˇ人类智慧的泯灭必将使整个人类立刻ˇ入未开化的孱弱与无助之中。一个政府若置其劳动阶级的一生于无知之中ˇ就如同创造出ˇ我们这样的生灵ˇ置之于这个世界ˇ但却未施予太阳的光明一样残酷。…

对财富的创造来说ˇ对于一个富足的人民和富足的国家的存在来说ˇ智慧是唯一重要的条件。当明智的选民(如果我可以这样称呼他们的话)增加时ˇ改进者的数量也就增加了。过去ˇ甚至在当今世界的大部分地区ˇ不到百万分之一的人所受到的教育能使其具备爲艺术或科学作出贡ˇ的可能性。优先发展这种教育ˇ那麽无数不可估量的贡ˇ就必定接ˇ而至。如果政治经济仅关心资本与劳动ˇ供应与需求ˇ利息与租金ˇ贸易的平衡与否ˇ而不考虑普及智力教育ˇ那麽这种政治经济就完全是天大的蠢事。政治经济中最伟大的技巧是使ˇ费者变成生産者ˇ次之是增加生産者的生産力ˇˇ这个目的可以直接通过增强生産者的智力来实ˇ。

The Case for Public Schools

. . . . According to the European theory, men are divided into classes,--some to toil and earn, others to seize and enjoy. According to the Massachusetts theory, all are to have an equal chance for earning, and equal security in the enjoyment of what they earn. The latter tends to equality of condition; the former to the grossest inequalities....

    I suppose it to be the universal sentiment of all those who mingle any ingredient of benevolence with their notions on Political Economy, that vast and overshadowing private fortunes are among the greatest dangers to which the happiness of the people in a republic can be subjected. Such fortunes would create a feudalism of a new kind; but one more oppressive and unrelenting than that of the Middle Ages. The feudal lords in England, and on the continent, never held their retainers in a more abject condition of servitude, than the great majority of foreign manufacturers and capitalists hold their operatives and laborers at the present day. The means employed are different, but the similarity in results is striking. What force did then, money does now. . . .

   Now, surely, nothing but Universal Education can counter-work this tendency to the domination of capital and the servility of labor. If one class possesses all the wealth and the education, while the residue of society is ignorant and poor, it matters not by what name the relation between them may be called; the latter, in fact and in truth, will be the servile dependants and subjects of the former. But if education be equably diffused, it will draw property after it. by the strongest of all attractions; for such a thing never did happen, and never can happen. as that an intelligent and practical body of men should be permanently poor. Property and labor, in different classes, are essentially antagonistic; but property and labor, in the same class, are essentially fraternal. The people of Massachusetts have, in some degree, appreciated the truth, that the unexampled prosperity of the State,--its comfort, its competence, its general intelligence and virtue,--is attributable to the education, more or less perfect, which all its people have received; but are they sensible of a fact equally important?--namely, that it is to this same education that two thirds of the people are indebted for not being, to-day, the vassals of as severe a tyranny, in the form of capital, as the lower classes of Europe are bound to in the form of brute force.

    Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin. is the great equalizer of the conditions of men--the balance-wheel of the social machinery,. I do not here mean that it so elevates the moral nature as to make men disdain and abhor the oppression of their fellow-men. This idea pertains to another of its attributes. But I mean that it gives each man the independence and the means, by which he can resist the selfishness of other men. It does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility towards the rich; it prevents being poor. . . . The spread of education, by enlarging the cultivated class or caste, will open a wider area over which the social feelings will expand; and, if this education should be universal and complete, it would do more than all things else to obliterate factitious distinctions in society.

    The main idea set forth in the creeds of some political reformers, or revolutionizers, is, that some people are poor because others are rich. This idea supposes a fixed amount of property in the community, which, by fraud or force, or arbitrary law, is unequally divided among men; and the problem presented for solution is, how to transfer a portion of this property from those who are supposed to have too much, to those who feel and know that they have too little. At this point, both their theory and their expectation is of reform stop. But the beneficent power of education would not be exhausted, even though it should peaceably abolish all the miseries that spring from the coexistence, side by side, of enormous wealth and squalid want. It has a higher function. Beyond the power of diffusing old wealth, it has the prerogative of creating new. It is a thousand times more lucrative than fraud; and adds a thousand fold more to a nation's resources than the most successful conquests. Knaves and robbers can obtain only what was before possessed by others. But education creates or develops new treasures,--treasures not before possessed or dreamed of by any one. . . .

    If a savage will learn how to swim, he can fasten a dozen pounds' weight to his back, and transport it across a narrow river, or other body of water of moderate width. If he will invent an axe, or other instrument, by which to cut down a tree, he can use the tree for a float, and one of its limbs for a paddle, and can thus transport many times the former weight, many times the former distance. Hollowing out his log, he will increase, what may be called, its tonnage,--or, rather, its poundage,--and, by sharpening its  ends, it will cleave the water both more easily and more swiftly. Fastening several trees together, he makes a raft, and thus increases the buoyant power of his embryo water-craft. Turning up the ends of small poles, or using knees of timber instead of straight pieces, and grooving them together, or filling up the interstices between them, in some way, so as to make them water-tight, he brings his rude raft literally into ship-shape. Improving upon hull below and rigging above, he makes a proud merchantman, to be wafted by the winds from continent to continent. But, even this does not content the adventurous naval architect. He frames iron arms for his ship; and, for oars, affixes iron wheels, capable of swift revolution, and stronger than the strong sea. Into iron-walled cavities in her bosom, he puts iron organs of massive structure and strength, and of cohesion insoluble by fire. Within these, he kindles a small volcano; and then, like a sentient and rational existence, this wonderful creation of his hands cleaves oceans, breasts tides, defies tempests, and bears its living and jubilant freight around the globe. Now, takeaway intelligence from the ship-builder, and the steamship,--that miracle of human art,--falls back into a floating log; the log itself is lost; and the savage swimmer, bearing his dozen pounds on his back, alone remains.

    And so it is, not in one department only, but in the whole circle of human labors. The annihilation of the sun would no more certainly be followed by darkness, than the extinction of human intelligence would plunge the race at once into the weakness and helplessness of barbarism. To have created such beings as we are, and to have placed them in this world, without the light of the sun, would be no more cruel than for a government to suffer its laboring classes to grow up without knowledge. . . .

    For the creation of wealth, then,--for the existence of a wealthy people and a wealthy nation,--intelligence is the grand condition. The number of improvers will increase, as the intellectual constituency, if I may so call it, increases. In former times, and in most parts of the world even at the present day, not one man in a million has ever had such a development of mind, as made it possible for him to become a contributor to art or science. Let this development precede, and contributions, numberless, and of inestimable value, will be sure to follow. That Political Economy, therefore, which busies itself about capital and labor, supply and demand, interest and rents, favorable and unfavorable balances of trade; but leaves out of account the element of a wide-spread mental development, is nought but stupendous folly. The greatest of all the arts in political economy is, to change a consumer into a producer; and the next greatest is to increase the producer's producing power;--an end to be directly attained, by increasing his intelligence.