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THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
of feelings and mental tendencies. Hence, we may say that knowledge exists in two different ways in the soul, namely, in the shape of mental tendencies, or feelings, and as ideas. In the former case, it determines our instincts and tendencies, that is, disposition, and in the latter, leads us to conscious deliberation in thought.
It will not be difficult to understand how knowledge can be preserved in the shape of tendencies and feelings, if we study the effect of education on ourselves. A child is, by nature, of an explosive temperament, and devoid of scruples and consideration for others. But a grown-up man is generally a very different being, and has little of the savageness of the child about him. The difference between these two states of man is undoubtedly due to education received as a member of society. But the question is, what is that faculty, or organ, which is modified in consequence of education ?
The materialist points to the brain as the repository of education; but that cannot be. For the brain is essentially perishable, while the effects of education linger in the soul, even when the intellect has fallen into decay. In order to be of any service to the soul, education must first modify disposition ; for it is character and character alone which outlives the intellect. But disposition cannot be modified purely and simply by the dry formulas of knowledge; it yields only to experience, since we adopt what is pleasing and avoid the unpleasant. Hence, education can be effective only when it assumes the shape of experience. We thus get the clue to the nature of the faculty in which the results of edu
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