Bcom 11 Notes

B.Com. II

Compulsory English

Prose Lessons

Essentials of Education

-Sir Richard Livingstone

1. What, according to Livingstone, is the attitude of an educated man to the problems of his life?

In the lesson Essentials of Education, Sir Richard Livingstone gives us a clear and vivid idea of what education is for and what the attitude of an educated man should be towards the problems of life. The author begins by asking what subjects should we study in order to be called ‘educated’. This of course, depends upon the answer to another question: ‘What is the aim of education?’

The aim of education, says the author, should be to know the first rate in any subject or field of study. Here lies also, the difference between the attitude of an educated person and an uneducated person towards the problems of life. Because an educated man knows the best and the first rate, he has the ability to select only the most suitable and reject the unwanted and unnecessary among a number of options. This ability to choose the best and reject the second rate defines the attitude of an educated man towards life and the problems and challenges of life.

2. What are the essential ingredients of education according to Sir Richard Livingstone?

In the lesson Essentials of Education, Sir Richard Livingstone discuses the ingredients of education. The author first cites the example of the variety of dishes on the menu card of a Transatlantic liner or an American hotel and says that the same baffling variety is available in the field of education too. There are so many subjects to choose from that one wonders what subjects should be studied to be called ‘educated’ in the true sense of the term. Livingstone then says that this question cannot be answered without first answering the question-what is education for? He himself answers this question and says that the aim of education should be to know the best and the first rate in the subject concerned....