Summary.
—A vocation signifies any form of continuous activity which
renders service to others and engages personal powers in behalf of the
accomplishment of results. The question of the relation of vocation to
education brings to a focus the various problems previously discussed
regarding the connection of thought with bodily activity; of individual
conscious development with associated life; of theoretical culture with
practical behavior having definite results; of making a livelihood with
the worthy enjoyment of leisure. In general, the opposition to
recognition of the vocational phases of life in education (except for
the utilitarian three R's in elementary schooling) accompanies the
conservation of aristocratic ideals of the past. But, at the present
juncture, there is a movement in behalf of something called vocational
training which, if carried into effect, would harden these ideas into a
form adapted to the existing industrial regime. This movement would
continue the traditional liberal or cultural education for the few
economically able to enjoy it, and would give to the masses a narrow
technical trade education for specialized callings, carried on under the
control of others. This scheme denotes, of course, simply a
perpetuation of the older social division, with its counterpart
intellectual and moral dualisms. But it means its continuation under
conditions where it has much less justification for existence. For
industrial life is now so dependent upon science and so intimately
affects all forms of social intercourse, that there is an opportunity to
utilize it for development of mind and character. Moreover, a right
educational use of it would react upon intelligence and interest so as
to modify, in connection with legislation and administration, the
socially obnoxious features of the present industrial and commercial
order. It would turn the increasing fund of social sympathy to
constructive account, instead of leaving it a somewhat blind
philanthropic sentiment. It would give those who engage in industrial
callings desire and ability to share in social control, and ability to
become masters of their industrial fate. It would enable them to
saturate with meaning the technical and mechanical features which are so
marked a feature of our machine system of production and distribution.
So much for those who now have the poorer economic opportunities. With
the representatives of the more privileged portion of the community, it
would increase sympathy for labor, create a disposition of mind which
can discover the culturing elements in useful activity, and increase a
sense of social responsibility. The crucial position of the question of
vocational education at present is due, in other words, to the fact that
it concentrates in a specific issue two fundamental
questions:—Whether intelligence is best exercised apart from or
within activity which puts nature to human use, and whether individual
culture is best secured under egoistic or social conditions. No
discussion of details is undertaken in this chapter, because this
conclusion but summarizes the discussion of the previous chapters, XV to
XXII, inclusive.
