Page:Mind (New Series) Volume 15.djvu/375

THE FEEEDOM OF THE TEACHER TO TEACH RELIGION. 361 So the statesman's art looks solely to the advantage of those who are governed by it. The ' advantage ' of the shepherd or the statesman constitutes another art, viz., the art of wages a very different thing, though often confused with the art itself. There is therefore an intrinsic interest in an art which solely regards the inner aims and development of that art ; there are extrinsic interests which regard other aims than those of the arts themselves viz., the welfare and personal success and reputation of the ' artist ' or his varied prejudices and opinions in connexion with other sub- jects. Finally, there are the prejudices and opinions of those outside of his art, who may bring pressure to bear upon him within his art. Let us consider the case of those outside of an art who venture to interfere, directly or indirectly, with those inside it, and in doing so, let us still take Plato as guide. He tells us that those inside an art, those who have given their whole thought and concentration to the development of their art, are strictly kept within limits, which they dare not, and in so far as they are "artists," cannot transgress. They can- not, as he says, go " beyond " their art. They are permeated with its principles and scientific basis, and are therefore obliged to see all the subject-matter of their art in the light of these principles. There is a common fund or atmosphere of expert knowledge and experience which binds closely together all persons exercising the art. One musician will not " out- do " or "go beyond " another, as far as musical principles are concerned. In fact, all have to conform to the standard of ascertained musical knowledge. Whatever individual differ- ences arise, the appeal has to be made to the court of estab- lished musical principles, and is instinctively so made by the musician who is trained in his art. But not so with the untrained outsider. His criticisms are founded on individual prejudices. He sees things, as Bacon would say, from a " den " of his own. So with the trained medical man. He is "limited " by his knowledge, skill, experience in medical principles and their known applications. Not so the out- sider, the " quack ". The " quack " can go so much further than the man who has studied closely the medical art. The " quack " knows no principles. His interest is extrinsic. Now let us apply these Platonic conceptions to education. Education is an art a difficult, complicated, technical art, which requires close concentration for the development of the best educational action, which requires energies similar to those required by the art of music and by the art of medicine. Education therefore has its " intrinsic " interest. For it, all