“The most famous document of nineteenth-century mental disciplinarianism was the report of the Yale faculty in 1828, essentially an impassioned defense of traditional education and humanistic values in the face of possible intrusions by the natural sciences and practical subjects. The report recognized two main functions of education, “the discipline and the furniture of the mind” (Original papers, 1829, p. 300), that is, strengthening the powers of the mind (what would be called today developing the ability to think) and filling the mind with content (what would be called today the learning of knowledge and skills). The chief authors of the report, Yale President Jeremiah Day and Professor James K. Kingsley, a leading classical scholar, had no doubt that the former was by far the more significant function of education (as we would probably assert today), and, to them, this meant a reaffirmation of the curriculum they had been teaching all along. Greek, Latin, and mathematics as well as belles lettres had, after all, in their experience, established their value, whereas some of the newer subjects, such as modern foreign languages, were unproven quantities. Thus, there was firm resistance to any tinkering with what appeared to be a sound and proven program of studies.”
Note that Day and Kingsley recognized TWO benefits: the mental discipline and the content. Criticism of the faulty “faculty pscyhology” methods were used to cast out the content as well. The baby (classical content) was thrown out with the bath water (faulty method).
Kliebard, The Struggle for the American Curriculum, 1893-1958.
Published in Education
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