Chronology Entry
Year
1926
Text
Xu, Zhimo. Luosu yu you zhi jiao yu. [Artikel über On education von Bertrand Russell.] [ID D28405].
It was the first time John saw the sea. He was scared and cried when he was told to enter the water. This angered our philosopher. 'What ! Russell's son afraid of something ?! Russell's son scared of seeing something ?! Impossible !' The Russell couple simply ignored the screaming of their child, who was still under three years of age, and dumped him into the water. They did it once and again, despite the child's crying. Well, after a few days, the child would insist on playing in the water without your telling him… The parents in the East certainly will not do that, will they ? I know that. But the spirit of courage, valour and fearlessness is the root of all virtues and foundation of character. We have to be very strict about it. We can tolerate many things, but not cowardice and fear. If you didn't help a child to overcome this obstacle early, you may ruin the rest of his life. Whenever Russell mentioned the word 'courage', his voice became exceptionally grave ; his eyes sparkled with an extraordinary light. Courage seemed to be the first tenet of his religion, the only credential of a human being.
'On education' is an extremely brilliant book for character training. After reading it the sensible parents will be more interested in educating their children and the knowledge-hungry parents will be greatly benefited. Believe me, this book is an inextinguishable light. The family that has obtained it will be free from the misery of darkness.
Reply from Xu Zhimo to Ou-yang Lan's Luosu yu you zhi jiao yu zhi yi yu da wen. [In : Chen bao fu kan ; 19. Mai (1926)].
Xu's story provoked some protest from a couple of Chinese education specialists and in defending Russell presented the following opinion :
I cannot guarantee that we all sympathize with Russell's passion to uphold courage and denounce cowardice, but truly, if you consider other aspects of character as secondary and your greatest expection of your child is his being good-tempered, being able to produce sweet smiles and to greet others politely, you differ widely from Russell. Concerning this, I must admit that my obsession is pretty deep. I prefer not having a child if I should have a cowardly one. There is nothing more shameful in the world than being cowardly.
It was the first time John saw the sea. He was scared and cried when he was told to enter the water. This angered our philosopher. 'What ! Russell's son afraid of something ?! Russell's son scared of seeing something ?! Impossible !' The Russell couple simply ignored the screaming of their child, who was still under three years of age, and dumped him into the water. They did it once and again, despite the child's crying. Well, after a few days, the child would insist on playing in the water without your telling him… The parents in the East certainly will not do that, will they ? I know that. But the spirit of courage, valour and fearlessness is the root of all virtues and foundation of character. We have to be very strict about it. We can tolerate many things, but not cowardice and fear. If you didn't help a child to overcome this obstacle early, you may ruin the rest of his life. Whenever Russell mentioned the word 'courage', his voice became exceptionally grave ; his eyes sparkled with an extraordinary light. Courage seemed to be the first tenet of his religion, the only credential of a human being.
'On education' is an extremely brilliant book for character training. After reading it the sensible parents will be more interested in educating their children and the knowledge-hungry parents will be greatly benefited. Believe me, this book is an inextinguishable light. The family that has obtained it will be free from the misery of darkness.
Reply from Xu Zhimo to Ou-yang Lan's Luosu yu you zhi jiao yu zhi yi yu da wen. [In : Chen bao fu kan ; 19. Mai (1926)].
Xu's story provoked some protest from a couple of Chinese education specialists and in defending Russell presented the following opinion :
I cannot guarantee that we all sympathize with Russell's passion to uphold courage and denounce cowardice, but truly, if you consider other aspects of character as secondary and your greatest expection of your child is his being good-tempered, being able to produce sweet smiles and to greet others politely, you differ widely from Russell. Concerning this, I must admit that my obsession is pretty deep. I prefer not having a child if I should have a cowardly one. There is nothing more shameful in the world than being cowardly.
Mentioned People (2)
Russell, Bertrand
(Trelleck, Monmouthsire 1872-1970 Plas Penrhyn bei Penrhyndeudraeth, Wales) : Philosoph, Logistiker, Mathematiker, Literaturnobelpreisträger ; Dozent Cambridge, Oxford, London, Harvard University, Chicago, Los Angeles, Beijing
Xu, Zhimo
(Haining, Zhejiang 1897-1931 Flugzeugabsturz Tai'an, Shangdong) : Schriftsteller, Dichter, Übersetzer
Subjects
Philosophy : Europe : Great Britain
Documents (1)
| # | Year | Bibliographical Data | Type / Abbreviation | Linked Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1980 | Leung, Gaylord Kai-loh. Hsu Chih-mo and Bertrand Russell. In : Renditions, vol. 14 (1980). [Xu Zhimo]. | Publication / Russ45 |
|