1875-11-01 Alumni Journal

              THE
LUMNI OURNAL,
OF THE
ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY.
Vol. V. NOVEMBER, 1875. No. 11.
INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT.
MAN is an intellectual being. He
possesses inherent power of progressive
development, and is so constituted that
he must exercise these powers in some
way. It is impossible for him to remain
stationary. He must go forward or he
will inevitably retrograde. He has
placed within his grasp power sufficient
to attain almost anything. One has
truly said "man can accomplish anything
but impossibilities." When he deter-mines
upon a course ofaction, he can pro-ceed
at once to the accomplishment of his
purpose. Leaving out of the question the
development of the physical and moral
nature, let us for a moment consider the
means necessary to, and the benefits to be
derived, from a well developed intellect.
What has already been said of man's
endowment, in general terms is true of
the intellectual forces. Unless developed,
they become inactive, and their possessor
is soon wholly unfit for the active voca-tions
of life. Many who might have
been ornaments in the intellectual world,
remain in mediocrity for the lack of prop-er
mental development in early life. It
is a well established fact, that the im-pressions
made upon the mind in youth
are more vivid and more lasting than
those in after years; also, that in what-ever
channel the mind be turned in child-hood,
in that it is inclined to continue
through life. Hence arises the import-
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ance of beginning this work of mental
culture as soon as the mind is capable of
receiving impressions.
But there is another fact demonstrated
in the history of the world. To excel in
anything there must be singlenesss of
purpose. The power to act, combined
with energy and application, must be
directed to the attainment of some partic-ular
object. Although this is a general
principle, it is especially applicable in the
work of intellectual development. What
gave Socrates or Plato his renown
among the philosophers of ancient
Greece; or Bacon, Descartes, Kant, Reid
or Hamilton in more modern times?
They were men of no more mental pow-ers
primarily, perhaps, than many who
have lived in obscurity and died un-known.
Why, then, the distinctions ?
Why the great difference ? The reason is
obvious. These illustrious men placed
before their minds a particular object to
be accomplished-a special end to be at-tained.
They purposed being lovers of
wisdom--philosophers. All their powers
were employed to execute this purpose of
their wills. They subjected themselves
to the most rigid intellectual discipline.
Years of unwearied exertion had to be
endured before they could enjoy the
pleasures of success. Yet all this they
gladly performed that they might accom-plish
their designs. No wonder we