Principle 2
By Dr. Shannon Whiteside
In Office Hours next week, we are continuing our study of the 20 Principles. If you didn’t watch our discussion of Principle 1, you can watch it here. Principle 2 states: They are not born either good or bad, but with possibilities for good and for evil. Many people are initially taken aback when they read this statement because it seems like Mason is denying the doctrine of original sin. Original sin is the Christian teaching that from our birth we are all corrupted by sin because of Adam’s fall.
I was one of those people who initially believed that Mason was making an unbiblical statement and was not agreeing with the words of Romans 3:23. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” When I first heard this principle, I was at an educational conference, and the speaker was talking about Mason’s “unorthodox” beliefs. It was the first time I had heard the name “Charlotte Mason.” That was quite an introduction, and it sent me running in the other direction! I deeply regret that I let one statement taken out of context keep me away from Mason’s writings for the next 10 years. When I finally read her writings for myself, I realized she was a God-fearing, Bible-believing woman who valued children and desired for educators to see children the way God sees them—born with a sinful nature yet made in the image of God.
I would encourage you to read more about this principle in Philosophy of Education p.46-67. At the beginning of this section Mason states “The fact seems to be that children are like ourselves, not because they have become so, but because they are born so; that is, with tendencies, dispositions, towards good and towards evil, and also with a curious intuitive knowledge as to which is good and which is evil…and the hope set before us is that we can foster the good so as to attenuate the evil; that is, on condition that we put Education in her true place as the handmaid of Religion.”
Mason is calling us to a fuller understanding of children and not simply viewing them as either “children of wrath” or “little angels.” Children are created in the image of God. One aspect of that concept is spirituality—humans exist for communion with God. Mason emphasized the relationship that children can have with God and the value that Christ placed on children during his ministry on earth. When we only focus on the sinful nature of children, we tend to focus on punishments, guilt and fear to get children to do the right thing. We don’t acknowledge the conscience of the child and give them space to make the right choices. We are focusing on the external and not the internal change of heart that is needed. We also will use a lot of moralistic teaching instead of allowing them to learn these truths from what they are reading in their books. If we believe children are inherently good, then they will be their own authority and not learn to willingly obey. We won’t encourage them to learn what they don’t want to learn and therefore they will be kept from doing hard things, building good habits, or trying things out of their comfort zone. If we view the child as having their character already set at conception, then we won’t prioritize many of the factors that make up a good education such as atmosphere, habits and ideas. All the effort would be pointless.
Please join us next week on Thursday, October 23, during Office Hours (3:30 pm EST) We’d love for you to join the conversation!
Lesson Plan Spotlight
Did you know Alveary provides History Prompt Charts in the Quick Links section of the History plans? They offer an at-a-glance view of key dates for each week—perfect for helping students choose which to include in their Book of Centuries.
Notes
- In the Company of Ideas: Looking for your next read? Dive into our October book: Charlotte Mason's Great Recognition. We’re excited to host a live discussion with one of the authors. Join the conversation!
- Student Showcase: Creating is a big part of a Charlotte Mason education, from handicrafts and poems to artwork, compositions, and lab reports. Often, one of the most popular parts of a CMI conference is a display of students' work, and we're hoping to share this inspiration more broadly! If your student would like to share their work with the CM community, please upload it here and watch for CMI blogs featuring collections of work over the coming months!
- Reading Lessons: Term 2 of level 3 reading lessons is now available. See it here.
- Conference: The Guiding with Grace Virtual Conference Ticket is still available! Gain access to all keynote sessions plus 23 professionally recorded workshops. Want a preview? Enjoy these short snippets for a taste of what’s waiting for you. The Use of Notebooks in a Mason Education and Immersion Track
- Book Sale: Purple House Press is offering 20% off select titles. No code needed. The discount will appear automatically in your cart.
Queries
Question: My kids are in grade 10 and doing Longitude for Geography. They have finished the term and it looks to me like they do not complete the book. Am I right about this? Will the exam include questions over the whole book?
Answer: Students can finish the final chapters of this book on their own if they want. The last chapters are less about the discovery and more about Harrison’s fight for justice that continued to the end of his life. The exam question will be about the actual discovery which is told in the first 11 chapters.
