約翰·洛克的教育思想(中英對照)-14: 慷慨公道

LIBERALITY | As to having and possessing of things, teach them to part with what they have, easily and freely to their friends; and let them find by experience, that the most liberal has always most plenty, with esteem and commendation to boot, and they will quickly learn to practise it. This, I imagine, will make brothers and sisters kinder and civiller to one another, and consequently to others, than twenty rules about good manners, with which children are ordinarily perplexed and cumbered. Covetousness, and the desire of having in our possession, and under our dominion, more than we have need of, being the root of all evil, should be early and carefully weeded out; and the contrary quality, or a readiness to impart to others, implanted. This should be encouraged by great commendation and credit, and constantly taking care, that he loses nothing by his liberality. Let all the instances he gives of such freeness, be always repaid, and with interest; and let him sensibly perceive, that the kindness he shows to others is no ill husbandry for himself; but that it brings a return of kindness, both from those that receive it, and those who look on. Make this a contest among children, who shall out-do one another this way. And by this means, by a constant practice, children having made it easy to themselves to part with what they have, good-nature may be settled in them into an habit, and they may take pleasure, and pique themselves in being kind, liberal, and civil to others.

慷慨 |  關於擁有和占有的東西，要教他們把他們所有的，容易和慷慨地分給朋友；並且讓他們通過經驗發現，最大方的人總是最富有的人，而且得到別人的敬重與稱讚，他們就會很快學著去實行它。我認為這會使兄弟姊妹之間更友善、更有禮貌，由此也這樣對待他人，這比二十條關於良好舉止的規矩有效得多，而那些規矩是小孩常感困惑與麻煩的。貪婪，想要在我們需要之外占有更多、支配更多的欲望，是一切邪惡的根源，應該及早小心地鏟除；而相反的品質，樂於和人分享的美德，應該加以灌輸。這應該通過大量的稱讚與榮譽加以鼓勵，要常常注意，不讓他因為大方慷慨而失去什麽。每當他如此慷慨地給予，都讓他得到更大的回報；讓他很容易地明白，他對別人表示友好，對他自己是沒有壞處的；它隻會從受惠者或旁觀者那裏帶回友誼。把慷慨大方作為孩子們中間的競賽，讓他們彼此爭勝。用這種方法不斷地練習，孩子就會容易與分享他們有的東西，善良寬厚的性情會成為他們的習慣，他們就會為自己對人的友善、慷慨和禮貌而高興與自豪。

JUSTICE | If liberality ought to be encouraged, certainly great care is to be taken that children transgress not the rules of justice: and whenever they do, they should be set right; and, if there be occasion for it, severely rebuked.

公正 | 如果慷慨是應該鼓勵的，那麽也應該格外注意不要讓小孩違反公正的原則；任何時候他們違反了，要立即糾正他們；而且必要的時候，要加以嚴厲斥責。

Our first actions being guided more by self-love than reason or reflection, it is no wonder that in children they should be very apt to deviate from the just measures of right and wrong, which are in the mind the result of improved reason and serious meditation. This the more they are apt to mistake, the more careful guard ought to be kept over them, and every the least slip in this great social virtue taken notice of and rectified; and that in things of the least weight and moment, both to instruct their ignorance, and prevent ill habits, which from small beginnings in pins and cherry-stones, will, if let alone, grow up to higher frauds, and be in danger to end at last in downright hardened dishonesty. The first tendency to any injustice that appears, must be suppressed with a show of wonder and abhorrency in the parents and governors. But because children cannot well comprehend what injustice is, till they understand property, and how particular persons come by it, the safest way to secure honesty, is to lay the foundations of it early in liberality, and an easiness to part with to others whatever they have or like themselves. This may be taught them early, before they have language and understanding enough to form distinct notions of property, and to know what is theirs by a peculiar right exclusive of others. And since children seldom have any thing but by gift, and that for the most part from their parents, they may be at first taught not to take or keep any thing, but what is given them by those whom they take to have a power over it. And as their capacities enlarge, other rules and cases of justice, and rights concerning ``meum'' and ``tuum,'' may be proposed and inculcated. If any act of injustice in them appears to proceed, not from mistake, but perverseness in their wills, when a gentle rebuke and shame will not reform this irregular and covetous inclination, rougher remedies must be applied: and it is but for the father or tutor to take and keep from them something that they value and think their own, or order somebody else to do it; and by such instances make them sensible what little advantage they are like to make by possessing themselves unjustly of what is another's, whilst there are in the world stronger and more men than they. But if an ingenuous detestation of this shameful vice be but carefully and early instilled into them, as I think it may, that is the true and genuine method to obviate this crime, and will be a better guard against dishonesty than any considerations drawn from interest; habits working more constantly and with greater facility, than reason; which, when we have most need of it, is seldom fairly consulted, and more rarely obeyed.

我們最初的行為更多地受自愛的指導，而少受理智或反省的影響，所以不奇怪小孩容易偏離正確的是非標準，因為這標準是心理上健全理智與認真思考的結果。他們愈容易在這上麵犯錯，就應該愈小心地看顧保守他們，在這重大社會道德上的每一個小小的失誤都要注意與糾正；就是在極其細微與無關緊要的事情上也應如此，這樣既教訓他們的無知，又防止壞習慣，因為即使從針尖與櫻桃核大小開始的小事，如果放任不管，就會成為更大的欺瞞，最終會危險地變成徹頭徹尾的、頑固的不誠實。小孩第一次表現出不公平的傾向，父母和導師要以顯露驚愕與厭惡的態度來壓製它。但是在小孩懂得財物以及人們怎樣得到它之前，他們不能很好地領會什麽是不公平，所以保證他們誠實正直的最安全的方法是把誠實的基礎及早地建立在慷慨大方及樂於和人分享自己所有或所好的東西之上。這可以早早地教給他們，在他們有足夠的語言和理解力來形成財產概念之前，也在知道什麽是屬於他們排他獨有的權力。而且小孩除了禮物很少有什麽東西，而禮物大部分也來自他們的父母，所以一開始就教他們不要拿取或保留任何東西，除非那東西是他們認為有支配權的人所給予的。等到他們的能力增大，才把有關公平的規矩與事例、以及關於"我的"和"你的"的權力告知與灌輸給他們。如果他們做了任何不義的行為，不是出於錯誤，而是他們主觀上明知故犯，當溫和的責備與羞愧不能改變這不正當的、貪婪的傾向，就該用更嚴厲的矯正方法：這隻能是父母或導師把他們看重與認作己有的東西拿走並隱藏起來，或者命令別人這樣做；由此讓他們明白他們不公平地占有別人的東西，對他們是沒有什麽好處的，世上還有很多比他們更強的人。如果能如我認為的那樣，及早小心地讓小孩對這可恥的惡行感到真正的憎惡，那是消除這罪惡的真正純粹的方法，比起任何利益的考慮更能防止不誠實；習慣比理智更持久、更有效地起作用；在我們最需要理智的時候，我們很少恰當地求教於它，更罕有地去遵從它。

 

摘自Some Thoughts Concerning Education (English-Chinese Edition)(ISBN-10: 1537479857)