Allen

Schwegler

Allen

Schwegler

Allen

Schwegler

RADIO PROGRAL

PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR HEALTH
February 17, 1938

"The Philosophy of Physical Education"

Dean Schwegler, I would like for you to tell me your philosophy or
your reactions to the real function of physical education, as you
see it. Certainly after 1 man has teught young men and wome:: 2u.
over 40 years he should be a competent individual to judge the
worth while things in human existence. Do you agree with me that
activity is the real objective of life, the only method of obtain-
ing happiness? Yany psychologists and philosophers see happiness
as a by-product of living, rather than the chief purpose. Is

this your idea, Dean Schwegler?

My answer to that question is that activity is only one phase of
life. Life involves the maintenance of equilibrium between the
organism and its environment. Activity is a phase of the attempt
to maintain equilibrium or to re-establish it when it has been
disturbed. Physical activity needs to be approached fron that
point of view in order to be properly evaluated.

By some it is generally agreed that activity leading to further
activity is called growth, It is further gonerally agreed that
health is the first requisite for growth, or indeed for happiness,
satisfactions, service or progress. Other aims of life are social,
cultural, and economic officiency. These constitute the greatest
common divisors in tho list of cducational aims of many cducators.
Each of those aims scoms to satisfy the philosophical criterion bco-
cause cach is a phase of growth and because cach is essontial to
the greatest happinoss of particular individuals. Weuld you agree
or disagroe with this theory, Dean Schwogler?

The term "growth" has a number of comotations, some of thom in-
volving desirablo changes, others involving undesirable changes.
For instance, in physical growth thore may bo pathological devol-
opments. So in the development of montal life it is perfectly
thinkable to conceive of growth of an undesirable sort, If you
will restrict tho torm "growth" to the development and oxpansion
of desirable clements, to wholesome incroases of capacity to

' function, then I would agree that growth is one of the fundamental

objectives of all true education, and that it unquestionably wmder-
lics any adequate concept of education, whether that be from the
physical angle or from the purely mental angle.

Dean Schsegler, is it not a faqt that objectives in cducation aro
aims broken up into their component parts? One of these, I asswnc,
would be healthe I should like to ask your opinion concerning health
and physical activity as they relate to cach othor,

The common expericnee of mankind tostod out in the crucible of many
centuries of living proves cloarly that physical activity is undcy
ordinary circumstances directly rclated to the maintorance of the