A Critical Evaluation of J.J Rousseau’s Concept of Education
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The main objective of the study is to evaluate J.J ROUSSEAU’s concept of education. To aid the completion of the study, the following sub-objective was put forward by the researcher’
- To evaluate the J.J ROUSSEAU’s concept of education
- To ascertain the effect of J.J ROUSSEAU’s concept of education in the growth of the education sector
- To ascertain the impact of J.J ROUSSEAU’s concept of education on the child education
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
Rousseau was brought up by an indulgent aunt, who never bothered to correct him when he faltered. She completely failed to instill in him any moral principles. This tendency for a want of self-control was furthered increased by his father, who had an equally careless attitude. When Rousseau was only six, his father would sit with him night after night and read to him the most silliest and sensational romances, which were left behind by his wife. It is for this reason that extreme emotionality, imaginativeness and precocity were nurtured within the child at a really early age. “After a year or so, the novels were exhausted and Rousseau had to turn for material, to the more sensible library of his grandfather, the preacher.” (Graves 78) Some of these works included the parallel lives of Plutarch and the standard histories of the day. These works had a lasting impression on his character. They contributed to his sense of heroism and what he afterwards termed ‘that republican spirit and love of liberty, that haughty and invincible turn of the mind, which rendered me impatient of restraint.’ His want of control may in this way have first come to turn itself toward the revolution and the destruction of existing society. (Graves 78)
“When he was ten, his ‘best of fathers’ ran away, and Jean Rousseau, together with his cousin, was sent to school in a village of Bossey. This constituted the only training he was destined to receive.” (Eby 320) Here his love of nature, which had already been cultivated by the beauties of the Genevian environment, was greatly heightened. He found a wonderful enjoyment of this rural life. He was happy, played with zest, learned to garden and acquired a strong love for nature. However, a severe punishment for a boyish offence led to this period of schooling ending in disappointment. “Thereupon he declares, he began to evolve the theory that it is through restraint and discipline of the impulses and departure from nature that humanity has ever been corrupted and ruined…” (Graves 79) After this he retired to Geneva and spent a couple of years in idleness and sentimentality. This was because he always found it difficult to adjust himself to social and vocational life. However, during his trade apprenticeships, he was further corrupted by low companions, and gave free reign to his impulses to loaf, lie and steal. He ran away from the city and spent many years in vagrancy and menial service. During this time, the beauties of nature continued to have their effect on him, especially the wonderful scenery of Savoy. He priest felt pity on him and fed him. He was placed for his spiritual edification under the guidance of a Madame de Warrens. She was charming and was of shallow character, and it was because of this that Rousseau made little progress in piety. “With her assistance he put forth many efforts to find a congenial vocation. He served as a lackey, studied for the priesthood, practiced music and became in turn a government clerk, a teacher of music, and a secretary.” (Eby 321) He was employed to teach the two sons of Monsieur de Plalby, but this too ended in failure, due to his hot temper. He thus returned to Madame de Warrens, and ended being her paid secretary and lover. Two features of these years are of special significance: the experiences gathered in his wanderings, and his somewhat desultory studies. His excursions, offered a vivid insight into the revolting miseries of the French peasantry. His studies served to acquaint him with the current social and philosophical problems agitating the minds of men. Montaigne, Leibniz, Locke, Pope and Voltaire made the deepest impression.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to critically evaluate J.J ROUSSEAU’s concept of education.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on the study a critical evaluation of J.J ROUSSEAU’s concept of education. 200 staff of faculty of education in selected university was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to critically evaluate J.J ROUSSEAU’s concept of education.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in evaluating J.J ROUSSEAU’s concept of education
Summary
Rousseau has always been misunderstood, because his philosophy has been analyzed without understanding the context in which he wrote. He aimed at breaking down all the possible barriers that prevented a child from being a child. Much of his life was spent as a vagabond and this resulted with him being very much in touch with nature. So this love he had for nature was something that was bound to be expressed in his writings. Analyzing today’s world, we find that things are quite the same as they were during the time of Rousseau. Two aspects come out very strongly, the first is nature, and the second is the child. In a world where competition is at its best, nature is just being taken for granted and misused. People rarely have time to stop and appreciate it. Children are only thought those subjects that are career centered. Growing with nature and letting nature guide the process is not something people are willing to consider. Also Rousseau was aiming more at the rich groups. This is quite the same even today. The poor, as compared with the rich, are the ones who are still quite in touch with nature.
Conclusion
Emile was not only an influence on Rousseau’s time and country, but lso on the revolutionary need of education. Though given to some sentimentality and excessive unorthodoxy, Rousseau will be remembered as a fearless writer who rushed in where his contemporaries walked reluctantly. Rousseau has established himself as a discoverer of the child and a compelling influence in matters of education through his child-centeredness. His educational propositions present a challenge to the contemporary educational methods in which the nonessentials are given prominence
Recommendations
Haven completed the study, the researcher recommend that Rousseau’s thought on these matters especially in regards to his theories of education where the issue of the mitigation of amour proper should be treated in a more detailed manner. Also, the relationship between other social theorists and their reliance upon conceptions of human nature for their normative theories is a field that deserves a close treatment. For example, in placing our demands for philosophical rigour upon Rousseau we have held his work up to close scrutiny and a comparative undertaking in relation to other theorists would help clarify how realistic and useful such scrutiny is in regards to theories such as Rousseau’s
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