questions, the children will be led in a wrong direction. Now, that philosophy which considers man merely a highly developed animal, which sees in the human mind nothing but another "aspect" or "phase" of the body (Bain, Spencer, and others), and consequently denies the spirituality and immortality of the soul – such a philosophy (if it deserves this name) cannot assign any other end and object of man's life than some form of hedonism or utilitarianism. Unfortunately this philosophy has exerted a disastrous influence on many modern educational theories. It has led to the separation, more or less complete, of education from religion, and as we shall show hereafter, a solid moral training is impossible without religion. There is only one system of philosophy which can form the sound basis of true pedagogy, and that is Christian philosophy, that philosophy which is in harmony with the revealed truths of Christianity. This philosophy alone gives the correct answer to the all-important Whence and Whither? It tells us that the soul of the child is a spirit, created by a personal God to His own image and likeness, and destined for an eternal happiness in heaven; it tells us that this life is not the final stage of man, but a journey to another, higher life; that "we have not here a lasting city, but seek one that is to come."[1] A system of education based on this Christian philosophy will widely differ from those systems which are built up on "modern" philosophy, be it German pantheism, French positivism, or English and American agnosticism. The most essential difference will be this that in a Christian system the
- ↑ Hebr. 13, 14.
