Liber II, Pars II — Qualis debeat esse magister, qui filiis nobilium, et maxime regum, et principum est proponendus. Cap. IX.

Liber II, Pars II — Qualis debeat esse magister, qui filiis nobilium, et maxime regum, et principum est proponendus. Cap. IX.

The philosopher discusses this at the end of Book 3. Ethics aligns the appetitive part of the soul with the child, and reason with the teacher. Just as the appetitive part of the soul needs guiding and regulating reason, so does a child need a teacher and mentor. Therefore, just as reason always seeks the best, as is said in the third book of Ethics, so too must the teacher of children always encourage them toward what is best. If, then, the goal of teaching children is to inspire them toward what is best, because the end is the basis for all other reasoning, the teacher sought should be one who can lead the youth entrusted to him toward what is best. The best and good, toward which the youth should be guided, is twofold: namely, knowledge and character. A person is led to good character in two ways: by example through the goodness of life, and by words through proper admonitions. As for the present, the teacher of noble youth, especially of kings and princes, should possess three qualities. A teacher should be knowledgeable about speculative matters. He should be prudent in practical matters. And he should be good in life. To be knowledgeable about speculative matters, three qualities are required. First, he should be inventive on his own. Second, he should understand the words of others. And third, he should be discerning about both what he has invented and what he has learned from others. For an inventive person is necessary, because someone who cannot discover anything in any way, but only knows how to repeat what others have said, is more of a reciter than a teacher. Therefore, it is fitting for him to be inventive. Secondly, it is fitting for him to be understanding and perceptive. For no one can adequately and perfectly suffice for himself in life; rather, to have sufficiency in life, we must live in community, so that through the help of others we may be supported in our needs: thus, even more so, as is evident from the Philosopher. In metaphysics, no one suffices for himself in contemplation, but always later philosophers have drawn support and help from the sayings of earlier ones. Therefore, it is not enough for someone to be inventive on his own; he must also be perceptive and understanding of the sayings of others. Thirdly, he must be discerning, for the perfection of knowledge primarily consists in judgment. For it is not enough to understand the sayings of others and to discover many things on one’s own unless one knows how to judge both what has been understood and what has been discovered, determining what should be held and what should be rejected. Therefore, regarding the kind of knowledge that a teacher should seek, he must be inventive on his own, understanding of others, and well-judging both what has been discovered and what has been understood. Even if the sons of nobles, especially those of kings and princes, are unwilling to delve deeply into knowledge, and are satisfied to know only a little, they should still seek out a well-informed teacher, since the teachings of the wise are easy to grasp, and one who understands clearly speaks clearly. Those who desire to know even a little will understand it more easily, clearly, and correctly from someone who knows than from someone who is ignorant. Having seen what a teacher should be and how he should be knowledgeable in order to teach in the field of knowledge, it remains to consider how he should be prudent in practical matters so that he can instruct in good morals. To describe such prudence, although we could enumerate all eight points that we touched on in the first book about prudence, it suffices for now to mention four of them. For a teacher of noble children must be so prudent in practical matters that he is mindful, cautious, foresighted, and circumspect. For he must be mindful by recalling the past. For just as one who wishes to straighten a stick could never do so unless he knew from which side it was bent, so one who wishes to correct others could never do so appropriately unless he had knowledge of past events, through which he could understand how they had gone astray. Therefore, a director of others must be mindful of the past. Secondly, he should be prudent about the future. For just as a director of others must consider the past, so that he knows how those who are to be directed have strayed in previous times, he must also provide for the future, so that he can apply remedies to those things through which they might more easily go astray in the future. Thirdly, he should be cautious, because, as we touched upon in the first book, caution must be applied in knowing and contemplating, so that falsehoods are not mixed with truths; likewise, in actions, it is fitting for a person to be cautious, so that evils are not mixed with goods. For some things, when considered superficially, appear to be good, just as some falsehoods appear to be true. Therefore, just as a teacher is in matters of contemplation, so he should be diligent and cautious, so that he presents to his students the truth without the admixture of falsehoods. Thus, whoever wants to guide the youth must be cautious, presenting to them good things without the admixture of evils. Fourthly, such a teacher should be circumspect or experienced. For the experienced must know particulars; thus, such a teacher must understand the specific conditions of those youths whom he is to guide. For according to the different conditions and tendencies of young people, they should be instructed in different ways. Therefore, such a teacher of youth should guide them through appropriate teachings and admonitions toward what is good. Indeed, a person is not only led to good through admonitions or corrections, but also through actions and examples; it is required that such a teacher be good and honorable in life. For the youthful age is very prone to intemperance and lust; however, no matter how good words a teacher might propose to the children, if he acts contrary to them, those youths will easily be led to illicit behavior by example. It is clear, therefore, that one must seek a teacher who is inventive in his own knowledge of speculative matters, insightful about others, and discerning regarding both discoveries and understandings. As for practical wisdom, he should be mindful, prudent, cautious, and circumspect; as for his life, he should be honorable and good. If, therefore, kings and princes, and indeed all citizens, are greatly concerned about what kind of things they should propose regarding their wealth, possessions, and inanimate objects, as the Philosopher states, then, in the realm of politics, there should always be greater care taken for animate beings than for inanimate ones, and for children than for others; they should be very solicitous and with great diligence consider what kind of teacher they would propose in the governance of their children.