The Herbartian psychology applied to education : being a series of essays applying the psychology of Johann Friedrich Herbart / by John Adams.

  • John Adams
Date:
1897
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Herbartian psychology applied to education : being a series of essays applying the psychology of Johann Friedrich Herbart / by John Adams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    99/302 page 91
    The “ seven years’ system,” as he is never tired of nam- iiisr the course of school instruction common in his time (he died in 1840), does harm instead of good to the in- tellect subjected to it. In his letter to Lafayette he asserts: “ Every one who is taught [by anotlier] is only half a man.” On the other hand, he is bitterly opposed to the doc- trine that recognizes inherent powers that show them- selves independently of all education. “Away with Genius” is his continual cry. “ Be it understood that the pupil is always to point out the fact that has in- spired this reflection ; otherwise he has wandered from the Universal Method of instruction. He works by Genius, that is to say, by groping and blindly: he is sure of nothing.” ^ While the ordinary forms of education are tedious and hurtful, the pupils must not presume to do with- out education altogether. They will get along all right without our help.^ But while “a master is never necessary to man,” he is “ infinitely useful ” ^ to him. Jacotot takes up pretty much the same stand-by atti- tude as the Froebelians, but he has not their justifica- tion. He has no good reason Avhy pupils should not educate themselves, yet he cannot let them alone. His attitude towards them amounts to this : “I cannot teach you, nor can any other one. You must, in the last resort, teach yourselves, but see that you do it according to the method I have laid down.” This 1 Page 131. 2 “ Je dis que r416ve ira bien sans vous.” —p. 120.
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