I haven't taken the time to figure out whether I 100% agree with this quote or not...but, I'm sure I'm 100% agree with it's sentiments. It's why I think pretty much the whole NT was written to local churches...
"We acquire habits of conduct, not by constructing a way of living upon rules or precepts learned by heart and subsequently practised, but by living with people who habitually behave in a certain manner: we acquire habits of conduct in the same way as we acquire our native language. There is no point in a child's life at which he can be said to begin to learn the language which is habitually spoken in his hearing; and there is no point in his life at which he can be said to begin to learn habits of behaviour from the people constantly about him. No doubt, in both cases, what is learnt (or some of it) can be formulated in rules and precepts; but in neither case do we, in this kind of education, learn by learning rules and precepts...If we have acquired a knowledge of the rules, this sort of command of language and behaviour is impossible until we have forgotten them as rules and are no longer tempted to turn speech and action into the applications of rules to a situation." -Michael Oakeshott, Rationalism in Politics, 1962.
2 comments:
That is good.
I think this statement is excellent. Unfortunately we cannot choose who we learn our early habits from. Perhaps this is why the writers of the constitution made such an emphasis on thier belief in God, so that everyone would be able to pick up Godly habits.
Post a Comment