What if the Sun did not submit to natural laws governing energy output, but instead, waxed and waned in luminosity based on its arbitrary preference?
Or, what if our own planet took it upon itself to choose its own spatial destiny, rather than orbit the Sun according to the law of gravity?
The answer, of course, is that human life would be doomed, and perhaps even our solar system would cease to exist as we know it.
Fortunately for us, this is an absurd hypothetical scenario. Stars and planets are not volitional entities, possessing wills of their own. Even if they did have the will to choose, they are physically bound by nature’s laws.
In the moral universe, however, things work differently. Similar to the natural world, there is, as C.S. Lewis has so persuasively argued in The Abolition of Man, an objective moral law. Throughout history and across civilizations, universal moral intuitions, such as the prohibition of murder, the conviction to care for one’s family, and basic requirements of justice, point to an objective moral reality. But, unlike the natural world, humans can, and do, break these moral laws, time and time again.
Moral Education for Image-Bearers
This is why moral education for children is so important. It is not simply enough to train them in the facts of what is morally good, as we would, say, for the natural law of gravity. We must teach them to love and submit to what is good, and thereby experience the fruit of living out their volitional freedom with faithfulness.
In her sixth volume of the Original Home Schooling Series, Towards a Philosophy of Education, Charlotte Mason presents a philosophy of education in which this moral dimension of education is essential. She begins with the premise that children are born persons with real moral agency, inherent spiritual value, and a hunger for knowledge. Unlike creatures in the animal kingdom, children are not predisposed to blindly follow instincts geared for survival. Nor are they “partial” human beings who do not yet possess the capacities to pursue knowledge or discern the difference between right and wrong. They are, in the fullest sense of the word, persons–endowed with mind, reason, will, affections, and moral compasses. As Christians, we capture the full thrust of this idea with the theological notion of humans as God’s image-bearers.
Principles of Authority and Docility
Mason has much to say about how educators should go about the moral formation of children. Central to her philosophy are the principles of authority and docility, two terms that are easily misunderstood today. In the remainder of this article, I will focus on the principle of authority.
To put it mildly, our modern culture neither trusts nor values the role that authorities play in our everyday lives. This jaded view of authority is not without reason. From a historical perspective, evidence abounds of trusted authorities who have used their power and position both hypocritically and selfishly. Leaders (politicians, clergyman, coaches) and institutions (churches, universities, political parties) have abused their authority, pretending to serve with honor and selflessness, only to be discovered later to be engaged in selfish and immoral dealings. These days, it seems, they are hardly try to hide it.
On a philosophical level, the rise of “expressive individualism” has flattened any hierarchical sense of authority that was previously taken for granted. It is one thing to acknowledge the existence of universal human rights and the corresponding moral obligations these rights engender. It is quite another to believe that, alongside these rights, humans possess “selves,” imbued with infallible feeling and desires, that are to be elevated over what is objectively true and good. With this philosophical shift, external authorities are not only to be mistrusted, our culture claims, they are suppressive.
As Christians, we can acknowledge that over the course of history, human authorities have failed us time and time again. We live in a world that is tainted by sin, and no area is free of its terrible effects. At the same time, we must remain committed to a biblical view of authority, which is grounded in the ultimate authority of our creator. God, in his divine providence, continues to rule the universe as the supreme authority. Additionally, he has deputized various human offices to administrate his authority, such as parents, pastors, and civic leaders.
Where Authority Comes From
The source for human authority, therefore, is God himself. Human authorities serve under the authority of God, and should rightly view their role as one of responsibility, not domination. God’s vision for all humans is that they would be freely faithful to him.
In her own day, Mason herself observed the misgivings about authority and offers a corrective, writing: “There is an idea abroad that authority makes for tyranny, and that obedience, voluntary or involuntary, is of the nature of slavishness; but authority is, on the contrary, the condition without which liberty does not exist…” (p. 69). Here we can begin to see how a proper view of authority, and docility as a corollary, are essential for moral education. Children must learn to be at peace under authority. When this authority is rightly discharged, they will not only survive; they will thrive.
The idea of authority as a deputed office is immensely helpful for teachers today. When a teacher enters the classroom to teach, she would be wise to remember that the source of her authority is not ultimately her educational background, teaching experience, personality, or even age. It is the office of “teacher” to which she has been called. This calling is a form of delegation from parents as the teacher operates “in loco parentis” (in the place of parents), supporting parents in their God-given role to raise their children in the “training and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).
This clarification of the source of a teacher’s authority should be encouraging for teachers. It takes the pressure off of the teacher to prove or demonstrate her authority in an impressive way, but rather, to simply walk in it. From the tone of one’s voice to the clarity of instructions to the warmth of one’s mannerisms, if the teacher knows who is in charge, it will create the conditions for not only an orderly classroom, but as we will see in my next article, an atmosphere for students to grow hearts of wise teachability.
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