Rousseau's views on the education of children

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's views on the education of children, as expressed in his Discourse on Political Economy, are based on his belief that the stability of society is paramount and that the truth, whatever it might be and wherever it might lead, is secondary at best, and even dangerous to society. Accordingly, he favors an educational system which is run by the state and which places the needs of the state above all other considerations, including the needs of the individual or the rights of parents to educate their children at home. The child is to be raised and educated, according to Rousseau, as an obedient, loyal citizen of the state, and not as an individual human being who was created to seek and find the truth and to develop himself or herself in any way which might contradict the needs of the state. This state-centered education, says Rousseau, should begin with

laws for infancy, teaching obedience to others: and as the reason of each man is not left to be the sole arbiter of his duties, government ought the less discriminately to abandon to the intelligence and prejudices of fathers the education of their children, as the education is of still greater importance to the State than to the fathers. . . . (Rousseau).

The father may die, says Rousseau, but the state remains. Of course, states pass away as well, through revolution, for example, but once the old state falls, as it did in the French Revolution, those running the new state, such as Rousseau, for examp

Related Essays

African American Social Theory .... Mill's views are a critique of the shape of .... access to quality education (Thernstrom and Thernstrom 384 .... toward resolution any more than Rousseau=s statement that .... (2980 12 )

Educational Theories Educational Theories: Comparison of the Views of Dewey and Stone .... viable today (Smith, 1). Barbara S. Stengeluthor (2 .... of the child." Unlike Rousseau, said Stone .... (1298 5 )

Educational Theories: Dewey and Stone Educational Theories: Comparison of the Views of Dewey and Stone .... viable today (Smith, 1). Barbara S. Stengeluthor (2 .... of the child." Unlike Rousseau, said Stone .... (1298 5 )

Classroom Multicultural Perspective .... A. Johnson and S. Kuntz (1992) in "Towards an .... 1592-1670), of course, had preceded Rousseau in suggesting .... sets in his own in-group, and who views foreigners as .... (9613 38 )

Whole Language Based 4th Grade Class .... The immigrant's home culture often views the role of .... 1670), of course, had preceded Rousseau in suggesting .... If parents and the system(s) ultimately responsible .... (9640 39 )

Diffusion Theory, Censorship & the School Library .... in the XVIIIth century, Jean-Jacques Rousseau remarked that .... the ALA, they should include the ALA's Bill of .... not exposed to a diversity of views (Sex, Psychology .... (4476 18 )

cating the child to obey the laws, to serve the State, to think of the State before himself, but the State could not be certain they were telling the truth. Therefore, if the point of education is the creation of good, obedient citizens for the advancement of the goals of the State, whatever they might be, then only the State can be trusted to produce such a citizen. However, if education is the pursuit of truth and/or beauty in life, wherever it might lead, or individual creativity, or any other goal which might stand in contradiction with the restricted goals of the State, then home schooling would provide at least that possibility, though there is no guarantee that the parents would be capable of teaching the child effectively to be either an obedient, conforming patriot or an individual, independent, self-sufficient, thinking human being true to beliefs higher than the state. Rousseau assumes that the individuals living in and benefiting from the State will live the best life possible if they agree to be good citizens, and they will likely agree to this if they were educated properly to be good citizens. Underlying this was another assumption that the world is a rational place, where rational beings, if properly educated,

Category: Psychology - R