The School of Mankind SEPTEMBER 01, 1975 by LEONARD E. READ
“Example is the school of mankind; they will learn at no other.”
-Burke That scholarly and brilliant Britisher, Edmund Burke
(1727- 1797), assuredly used the term "mankind" as defined in
his country’s Oxford Dictionary: "Human beings in general."
Thus, the reference was not to those few who think for
themselves and explore the Unknown, the ones graced with
insights and who experience intuitive flashes, the moral and
intellectual giants, the oversouls, those like Confucius,
Socrates, Epictetus, Augustine, Maimonides, Adam Smith and
thousands of others. Not included in Burke’s dictum were those
who rank high in setting examples — the exemplars! Rather, his
reference was to the general run of us who learn, if at all, by
the example of our superiors. For the past forty years I have
studied the few — those stalwarts past and present — and
observed how their exemplarity has helped me to shape my life.
They teach by the high example they set, and we learn b