Page:The Teacher's Practical Philosophy.djvu/28

16 of conduct; all conduct comes into, or rather essentially belongs within, the sphere of the moral; or what is the same thing, of the practical. The study of education, as we are proposing to pursue it, should result in the discovery and systematic treatment of those most general principles of conduct, which apply to the particular relations in which human beings are placed for purposes of education. More briefly and familiarly said: We inquire into the principles which should regulate the professional conduct of the teacher. To avoid, as far as possible under the circumstances, misunderstanding on the part of any of my hearers, let me repeat: It is principles rather than rules which we are to investigate; and these are to be, chiefly, the principles which are most fundamental and general, or nearly universal. It is not my purpose, then, to tell you just how to teach, after the somewhat too lordly manner of the master pedagogue or so-called educator. And I am very glad that I am not committed to this purpose. I should very much rather learn the art of teaching, if that were possible, from some of you. As to those general principles, however, with which we all, as teachers, ought to be familiar, and upon which we ought constantly to endeavor to base our practise, I feel much more confident of my ability to speak. They have been the topics of my thoughts and research, for more than two-score years. And