Notes on Philosophy, Morality, and Education

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1822 edition. Excerpt: ... may mislead, when you can refer it to one which is more pure and less liable to error..... FABLES. Fables, it is said, are improper for children, because they induce a belief that the lower animals possess speech and rationality, the attributes of man. Poetry and eloquence endow nature with our feelings, affections, and passions, and why should a pleasure--the gratification of a natural propensity--be denied to early life, which is commendable in a more advanced period. Admit that a child believes a fable to be true, still no injury can ensue, for his belief expires with childhood, while the moral of it may remain through future. life, and influence his conduct. FAIRV TAJ.ES.: Fairy tales; it is said, are improper for youth, because they have a tendency to create ft turn for romdntic fiction All men in their journey through life--from the plodding artist, who 'in fancy builds his country house, to the visionary sentimentalist, who builds castles.-in the air-. Jure their fields of fiction to which they occasionally retire. A man is not censurable for occasionally retiring to the romantic dell or grove; ie becomes liable to censure only when he remains there, while necessary business elsewhere demands his presence. A youth may be innocently amused with such tales; they may even induce ft taste &r reading, but the moment they seduce the mind from more serious study, the advantage is purchased at too great an expense-My observations are respecting society as it actually exists; for were I to lay down rules for a simple and virtuous society, I would banish most of our books of morality, for I would have men, without talking about virtue, to practise it; and I would banish works of fiction, because I would have them to derive their simple and pure...