Chapter 20 5. Physical exercise and mental improvement should go hand in hand

The development of natural technology will inevitably lead to the emergence of industrial technology.The former technology can be operated by a single person or a barbarian, while the latter technology requires the cooperation of many people to function. It was born in society and in turn promoted the development of society. In the beginning, all human needs came from their own bodies, so people could satisfy their own needs by themselves.As material resources become more and more abundant, and human beings possess more than they need, at this time, the cooperation and division of labor appear.

Any concepts related to social relationships are far beyond the scope of children's understanding, so you need to do everything possible to keep him away from these concepts. Since all knowledge is inherently connected, when you cannot avoid telling your child about the interdependence between people, do not instill morality in him, it is best to attract his attention to Industrial and mechanical technology in which there is a mutual aid relationship between people. You take him to various factories to visit. At this time, your role is by no means a bystander. Unless he understands what he sees, you cannot take him out of the factory.

You have to lead by example, personally participate in different jobs, and set an example for him to learn from.In order to cooperate with him to learn knowledge faster, you have to be willing to be his apprentice.You know, it is better to work for an hour to benefit him than to let him laboriously recite what you have said for a day. The value of a technology is inversely proportional to its usefulness, and the most useful technologies are the cheapest.Because such technologies are necessary for people's lives, their prices cannot be too high, otherwise the poor will not be able to afford them.

And the so-called artists, since their work is to provide bric-a-brac for the wealthy with leisure, can price their work as they please. I think we should value technologies based on how useful they are.Some technologies can only be operated with the help of others, while some technologies must rely on other technologies to proceed.In my opinion, the former technique deserves more respect than the latter. If I were to rank the value of all technologies, I would put agriculture first, followed by ironmaking, and lastly carpentry.I believe that as long as a child is not infected by worldly prejudices, he will definitely agree with me.Since Emile had an experience similar to the plot of "Robinson Crusoe", he must also make the same ranking as me.

Since childhood, we have traveled far away with our excess physical strength. We have explored the mysteries of the sky, measured the area of ​​the earth, and engraved the laws of nature in our hearts.In short, we've looked around the globe, and now we're back where we started. What is our purpose in doing this?That is to apply this knowledge to life, so that you can live a happier life. So far, humans have created countless tools, but we don't know which one is useful to us.Perhaps, the tools we don't use can facilitate the work of others; or perhaps, we must rely on other people's tools to achieve our goals.Thus, an exchange is necessary.

Before exchanging with others, we must first understand our own needs and what we can meet the needs of others. Suppose there are 10 people, each of whom has 10 needs, and each of them must engage in 10 jobs to satisfy all their needs. However, because the talents and abilities of people are different, even if a person is very capable, he cannot do all 10 jobs well at the same time.Thus, if each person works 10 jobs, none of the 10 people's needs will be met. If these 10 people gather to form a society, and each of them does the job that he is best at for the other 9 people, then as long as one person does one job, the needs of these 10 people can be met.

In addition, as a result of long-term engagement in a job, this person's skills will become more and more proficient. Over time, he will be able to produce surplus things to supply others in addition to meeting his own needs.This is the foundation of all social institutions. In this way, the child initially has in his mind the concept of social relations, which he grasps even before he can actively participate in social activities. Emile soon discovers that if he wants to get what he needs from someone else, he must exchange it with someone else.It is a very simple matter for him to realize the necessity of exchange. As long as he knows the importance of exchange, he will know how to meet his own needs.

When Emile gained the understanding of life, the first thing I did was to teach him how to maintain life.Having talked so much, I have never talked about how to distinguish the concepts of property, occupation, and rank. I won't say it now, and I don't plan to say it in the future. Because all people are equal.A rich man does not necessarily have a better and healthier stomach than a poor man; a master does not necessarily have longer and stronger arms than a servant; Before nature, the needs of all are the same, and the means of satisfying them are not much different.We must teach students in accordance with their aptitude and find an educational method that suits his characteristics. If we only cultivate his ability to adapt to this environment, we will virtually deprive him of his ability to adapt to other environments.How obvious is this, don't you understand?

You depend devoutly on the existing social order, but you don't know that it will be overthrown sooner or later, and you have no ability to predict and prevent the revolution that will affect the fate of your children. . The nobles will become commoners, the rich will become poor, and the king will become a courtier. The blow of fate is overwhelming, and you simply cannot deal with it.Our age is full of crises, the monarchy of Europe is coming to an end, revolution is coming. No one can predict what will happen.Everything created by human beings will be destroyed by human hands.Only that which comes from the hand of nature lasts forever, and nature has never produced kings, nobles, or rich men.

That high official has only learned how to enjoy a luxurious life from the education he received back then, but how will he survive if he falls into the street in the future? That tax collector, he spends his money like water all day long, but how is he going to live after spending all his savings? There is also that superficial, ignorant fool, he can only live on the help of others, but if one day his backer is gone, how will he survive? The happiest person is the one who dares to withdraw decisively when his status changes, and start over from the shackles of fate.If a child grows up to be of no use to anyone else, it is his father's fault.You might say that although he couldn't support himself, his father bequeathed to him all his hard-earned property.

A person who does not earn money by himself but sits at home eating his money is no different from a thief; a person who does nothing but lives on government relief is no different from a robber. If a man lives in isolation, he can escape from those obligations and live as he wishes.But if he lives in society, it is impossible for him to live alone without being dependent on others. He should use his own labor to pay others to pay his living expenses. This is true for all people without exception. As a member of society, labor is an obligation that everyone must fulfill.Any citizen, be it poor or rich, as long as he does not work, he will be cast aside by others. Manual labor is the one closest to the natural state among all human means of earning a living, and handicraftsmen are the type of people who are least susceptible to fate and other people's influence.Compared with farmers, the situation of artisans is much better.For the craftsman is at least a free man, while the farmer must have land to produce, and the fruits of his labor do not belong to him. Agriculture, however, is the most worthy, noblest, and most respected of all occupations. It was not necessary for me to say to Emile, "Learn a little about farming," because he was familiar with all farm work.His first labor was crop work, and he continued to do it. So, what I would tell him is: "Take good care of the land that your ancestors left you. But if you don't have land or lose it for some reason, learn a trade." For Emile, learning a craft was not necessary.What is craft?It is nothing more than a job done by hand, a kind of mechanical operation ability. What more could I ask him to learn?Almost anything troubled him: shovels, shovels, lathes, planes, hammers, files, he knew all the tools needed for the craft.Compared with an excellent worker, his shortcomings are only the speed and proficiency of operation. However, he also has advantages that they don't have: he has a strong body, flexible hands and feet, is proficient in various mechanical principles, and has received professional training.What he lacks is experience, but experience can be gained through practice, it is only a matter of time. Considering various factors, according to Emile's interests and my personal preference, I think the most suitable occupation for him is carpentry.The job is clean, functional, and doesn't involve going outdoors.It not only allows Emile to exercise his limbs, but also trains his skills; while making practical things, it can also cultivate his elegant taste and temperament. It's a pity that we can't spend all our time learning how to do carpentry, and more importantly, how to be human.To learn to be human, we must become apprentices.You know, the life of an apprentice is much harder and longer than the life of learning to work. Therefore, I suggest setting aside one or two days a week to study at the master's home.We wake up, eat together, and work together with the master, and we do whatever he asks us to do. If we are lucky, we can also have dinner with the master's family. After the meal, we can stay or go back to our own home and lie down on our own hard bed to sleep. It may be the best way to learn several different jobs at the same time, and learn to do them without losing the other aspects of learning. Speaking of this, if everyone has understood what I mean, it is not difficult to imagine how I let my students exercise while learning crafts, and develop the ability to think independently. I want my students to be as hardworking as farmers and as profound as philosophers. Only in this way will they not live in a daze like those lazy people. This is the great secret of education: the exercise of the body and the improvement of the mind go hand in hand.