Page:The Teacher's Practical Philosophy.djvu/19

Rh true "child of nature," and if nature were not in some respects akin to man, or self-like, in its relations to man, then nature could not teach man; then man could not be educated by nature. And, of course, in all those forms of social influence which have an educative value, as all of them indeed do, there is no doubt that education is a species of conduct.

But now, what follows from all this view of the essential nature of education, as shown by the most general conception attached to the word, is nothing less than the exceedingly important conclusion that education is essentially a moral affair, in the larger and grander meaning of the word "moral." For conduct is the sphere of morals,—whether it be theory or practise. Conduct, and the development of character through the rational and wise direction of conduct, is the very essence of morality.

If all this seems to you rather vague and indefinite, let us now address ourselves to the attempt at a more restricted and definite conception of education, as its process concerns the professional work of the teacher. In the sense in which we have thus far used the word, education, even in youth, is by no means confined to the school or to the teacher's work. The home-life, the particular occupation,—trade, business, profession, art,—more definitely, as well as the potent, but silent and often concealed, influences of the physical and social environment,