The New Ideal in Education | Page 2

agreed on
that point with modern theology. Art, in all its branches, presented
itself as the sole expression of one individuum, i.e., of the artist. The
modern socialism, contradicting its own name, supported individualism
very strongly in every department of human activity. Consequently
modern Pedagogy, based upon the general tendencies, put up the same
individualistic ideal as the aim to be achieved by the schools, church,
state, and by many other social institutions.
THE RESULTS OF THE OLD IDEAL.
War is the result of the old ideal of education. I call it old because it is
over for ever, I hope, with this war. The old European ideal of
education was so called individualistic. This ideal was supported
equally by the churches and by science and art. Extreme individualism,
developed in Germany more than in any other country, resulted in pride,
pride resulted in materialism, materialism in pessimism. Put upon a
dangerous and false base every evil result followed quite naturally. If

my poor personality is of limitless value, without any effort and merit
of my own, why should not I be proud? If the aim of the world's history
is to produce some few genial personalities, as Carlyle taught, why
should not I think that I am such a personality for my own generation,
and why should I not be proud of that? Once filled with pride I will
soon be filled also with contempt for other men. Selfishness and denial
of God will follow my pride; this is called by a scientific word
materialism. Being a materialist, as long as I possess a certain amount
of intellectual and physical strength, I will be proud of myself. But as
soon as my body or spirit are affected by any illness (it may be only a
headache or toothache), I will plunge into a dark pessimism, always the
shadow and the end of materialism. Modern Germany was, as you
know, the hearth of individualism, and consequently also of pride,
materialism, atheism and pessimism. The worship of strong
personalities (to-day: Kaiser William and Hindenburg) holds the whole
of Germany in unity during this war, which is not the case either in
France or in Great Britain or Russia, where the common cause inspires
the unity.
THE EDUCATION WHICH MAKES FOR PEACE.
When will wars really stop in the world's history? As soon as a new
ideal of education is realised. What is this new ideal of education which
makes for peace? I will give it in one word: Panhumanism. This word
includes all I wish to say.
Individualism means a brick, Panhumanism means a building. Even the
greatest individuality (may it be Cæsar, or Raphael, or Luther) is no
more than a brick in the panhuman building of history. The lives of
individuals are only the points, whereas the life of mankind is a form, a
deep, high and large form.
If a great and original individuality were the aim of history, I think
history should stop with the first man upon earth, for our first ancestor
must have been the most striking individual who ever existed. Men
coming after Adam have been like their parents and each other. Kaiser
William is not such an interesting and striking a creature by far as the
first man was. When Kaiser William opens his mouth to speak, he
speaks words that are known. When he moves or sits, when he eats or
prays--all that is a nuance only of what other people do, all is either
from heritage or imitation, and quite an insignificant amount is

individual. Whereas every sound that the first man uttered was quite
new for the Universe; every movement striking and dramatic; every
look of his eyes was discovering new worlds; every joy or sorrow
violently felt; every struggle a great accumulation of experiences. And
so forth. Well, if one striking individuum is the aim of history, history
should close with the death of Adam. But history still continues. Why?
Just because not Adam was its aim, but mankind; not one, or two, or
ten heroes, but millions of human creatures; not some few great men,
but all men, all together, all without exception.
From this point of view we get the true ideal of education. The purpose
of education is not to make grand personalities, but to make bricks for
the building, i.e., to make suitable members of a collective body and
suitable workers of a collective work.
COLLECTIVE WORKS
Are greater than personal works. A pupil from the old, individualistic
school would object:
--And what do you think of the work of Ibsen?
_I:_ I think it is incomparably smaller than the ancient Scandinavian
legends.
_He:_ Do you not grant that Alfred the Great was the real creator of the
English Kingdom?
_I:_ Never. Millions and millions of human