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number of a railway platform and the destination of a train。 When you
enable a child to read these； you also enable it to read this preface； to the
utter destruction； you may quite possibly think； of its morals and docility。
You also expose it to the danger of being run over by taxicabs and trains。
The moral and physical risks of education are enormous： every new
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power a child acquires； from speaking； walking； and co…ordinating its
vision； to conquering continents and founding religions； opens up
immense new possibilities of mischief。 Teach a child to write and you
teach it how to forge： teach it to speak and you teach it how to lie：
teach it to walk and you teach it how to kick its mother to death。
The great problem of slavery for those whose aim is to maintain it is
the problem of reconciling the efficiency of the slave with the helplessness
that keeps him in servitude； and this problem is fortunately not completely
soluble； for it is not in fact found possible for a duke to treat his solicitor
or his doctor as he treats his laborers； though they are all equally his slaves：
the laborer being in fact less dependent on his favor than the professional
man。 Hence it is that men come to resent； of all things； protection； because
it so often means restriction of their liberty lest they should make a bad
use of it。 If there are dangerous precipices about； it is much easier and
cheaper to forbid people to walk near the edge than to put up an effective
fence： that is why both legislators and parents and the paid deputies of
parents are always inhibiting and prohibiting and punishing and scolding
and laming and cramping and delaying progress and growth instead of
making the dangerous places as safe as possible and then boldly taking
and allowing others to take the irreducible minimum of risk。
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English Physical Hardihood and
Spiritual Cowardice
It is easier to convert most people to the need for allowing their
children to run physical risks than moral ones。 I can remember a relative
of mine who； when I was a small child； unused to horses and very much
afraid of them； insisted on putting me on a rather rumbustious pony with
little spurs on my heels （knowing that in my agitation I would use them
unconsciously）； and being enormously amused at my terrors。 Yet when
that same lady discovered that I had found a copy of The Arabian Nights
and was devouring it with avidity； she was horrified； and hid it away from
me lest it should break my soul as the pony might have broken my neck。
This way of producing hardy bodies and timid souls is so common in
country houses that you may spend hours in them listening to stories of
broken collar bones； broken backs； and broken necks without coming upon
a single spiritual adventure or daring thought。
But whether the risks to which liberty exposes us are moral or physical
our right to liberty involves the right to run them。 A man who is not free
to risk his neck as an aviator or his soul as a heretic is not free at all； and
the right to liberty begins； not at the age of 21 years but of 21 seconds。
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The Risks of Ignorance and
Weakness
The difficulty with children is that they need protection from risks they
are too young to understand； and attacks they can neither avoid nor resist。
You may on academic grounds allow a child to snatch glowing coals from
the fire once。 You will not do it twice。 The risks of liberty we must let
everyone take； but the risks of ignorance and self…helplessness are another
matter。 Not only children but adults need protection from them。 At
present adults are often exposed to risks outside their knowledge or
beyond their comprehension or powers of resistance or foresight： for
example； we have to look on every day at marriages or financial
speculations that may involve far worse consequences than burnt fingers。
And just as it is part of the business of adults to protect children； to feed
them； clothe them； shelter them； and shift for them in all sorts of ways
until they are able to shift for themselves； it is coming more and more to
be seen that this is true not only of the relation between adults and children；
but between adults and adults。 We shall not always look on indifferently
at foolish marriages and financial speculations； nor allow dead men to
control live communities by ridiculous wills and living heirs to squander
and ruin great estates； nor tolerate a hundred other absurd liberties that we
allow today because we are too lazy to find out the proper way to interfere。
But the interference must be regulated by some theory of the individual's
rights。 Though the right to live is absolute； it is not unconditional。 If a
man is unbearably mischievous； he must be killed。 This is a mere matter
of necessity； like the killing of a man…eating tiger in a nursery； a venomous
snake in the garden； or a fox in the poultry yard。 No society could be
constructed on the assumption that such extermination is a violation of the
creature's right to live； and therefore must not be allowed。 And then at
once arises the danger into which morality has led us： the danger of
persecution。 One Christian spreading his doctrines may seem more
mischievous than a dozen thieves： throw him therefore to the lions。 A
lying or disobedient child may corrupt a whole generation and make
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human Society impossible： therefore thrash the vice out of him。 And so
on until our whole system of abortion； intimidation； tyranny； cruelty and
the rest is in full swing again。
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The Common Sense of Toleration
The real safeguard against this is the dogma