Graduate Seminar I
Theory and Philosophy

Fall 2001

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Department of Art Education and Art Therapy

Instructor: Craig A. Cunningham, Ph.D.

 

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)


 

  •     naturalist; romanticist
  •     man should turn to nature to learn natural law and to escape corruption of modern society
  •     "Most influential educational theorist of all time" -- John Craig (U of Chicago)
  •     Emile, 1762
  • Key passages in Cahn excerpts:
    • p. 163:  natural is good; man-influenced is bad; education necessary in civilization, however
    • p. 164-165: "natural man"; prevent anything being done
    • p. 165: "natural order"
    • p. 165: Rousseau's purpose in writing
    • p. 166: "only habit the child should be allowed to acquire is to contract none" (compare Locke)
    • p. 166: Teacher: love childhood (as distinct phase); "childhood has its place..."
    • p. 167: no absolute good or evil
    • p. 167: happiness comes with equality of power and will; demands vs. needs
    • p. 167: politeness (compare Locke)
    • p. 168: surest way to unhappiness
    • p. 168: natural liberty
    • p. 169: on reasoning with children (compare Locke)
    • p. 169: bad instruments of direction
    • p. 169: experience as teacher
    • p. 170: no original perversity in human heart
    • p. 170: first education purely negative
    • p. 170: do the opposite of what is usually done
    • p. 171: distinctive genius
    • p. 171: importance of country education and control of environment
    • p. 172: again, avoid moral education early
    • p. 172: self-preservation
    • p. 172: learning about property
    • p. 172: on punishment
    • p. 172-73: children's lies are work of their teachers
    • p. 173: each age of life its own proper perfection
    • p. 173: books
    • p. 173-74: description of Emile at 12; Book III is about boyhood (where formal education begins)
    • p. 175: should be able to get info for himself
    • p. 175: law of necessity; foresight
    • p. 175: occupy mind with objects of obvious utility; objection
    • p. 176: example of how to teach directions/compass
    • p. 177: books: Robinson Crusoe
    • p. 178: avoid social relations: attend to work
    • p. 179: teach a trade so he can always preserve his life and participate in social contract
    • p. 179-80: contra Locke on sensation vs. judgments
    • p. 180-81 description of Emile at 15; Book IV is about adolescence
    • p. 182: the study of relations: history, art, government, etc.
    • p. 184: introduce failures/challenges to remove vanity: use fables to teach morals (but only to men, not children, p. 185)
    • p. 185: community service
    • p. 185-187: religion: false ideas, childhood image of god, which religion?--> natural religion (notion of the "Author" : note here on deism as a philosophy; also here:  Deist is:  "One who believes in the existence of a God or supreme being   but denies revealed religion, basing his belief on the light of nature and reason.")
    • p. 187-88: education of "taste" (arts)
    • p. 189-91: on Sophie's education (see p. 196: Sophie is your tutor)
    • p. 193-94: travel "grand tour"

    Summary of Rousseau's ideas

  • elitist; education by tutors; break with institutions
  •     goodness of childhood
  •     feels schools stress too much "verbalism"
  •     against idea that parent reaction should determine child's behavior
  •     object of education is to replace "amour propre" (love of self-image) with love of others; and
  •     "amour d'soi" (love of self) ok because it is "natural"
  •     education should follow unfolding of child's capacities
  •     interests inherently good
  •     appropriate pedagogy depends on stages of development:  infancy (age 0-5; unencumbered
  •     freedom); childhood (6-11; nature, games, experience); boyhood (12-15; mastery of trade);
  •     adolescence (some books, government, art, cultural heritage); youth (20+; grand tout)
  •     girls trained separately for moral attributes, homemaking

Resources

 

 

 

 

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