Basic Principles of Child Education by Lock - Essay Example

?QUESTION3: Explain and critically assess the main principles which Locke believes should guide the education of the child. John Locke’s Beliefs on the Education of the Child Introduction “Every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has a right to but himself” (John Locke, MMVII). Who was John Locke? John Locke, an influential philosopher, physician and writer was born August 6, 1632 in the village of Wrington in the English county of Somerset. Born to the father, a lawyer and military captain of the English civil war, Locke attended the University of Oxford. There he studied medicine which became one of the most important roles in his life. As a highly influential philosopher, Locke wrote on topics that were revolutionary for the time – political philosophy, epistemology and education. John Locke’s writings became a foundation for modern Western philosophy. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689) and Letters Concerning Toleration are examples of Locke’s writings that illustrate his belief in natural law and the fulfillment of the divine purpose for humanity. In John Locke’s writings, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding the philosopher and physician implemented a theoretical and philosophical perspective with enquiries on two questions of thought or critical reasoning, “What is the origin of our ideas?” and “What is the basis of our knowledge?” Locke’s main work on education – Some Thoughts Concerning Education – originated from letters to a friend. Although the writings are reflections and critical thoughts on the education of a specific child (his friend’s child) in a specific social situation, Locke’s writings are also concerned with education in general. On the Education of the Child According to the philosophical writings entitled, Some Thoughts Concerning Education, critical thoughts on the education of the child include: (1) The act of learning is just a part of education. The act of learning is the result of experiences of the child (experiential learning as it is known in our modern and postmodern ethos). Locke’s educational theory often denounced scholasticism and advocated the experimental methods adopted during observations of a friend’s child “the individual education of a gentleman’s son, not the formation of a school system…No man’s knowledge here can go beyond his experience… Learning is not innate. It is often based on the formulation and analysis of ideas and knowledge” (Locke, 1909-1914, § Introductory Note). (2) Vital to education and learning is the development of character. This includes of wisdom, virtue and ‘good breeding’. Locke held that man’s manners and abilities are an outcome of thinking and education of the child’s mind. “If I have said in the beginning of this discourse… that the difference to be found in the manners and abilities of men is owing to their education than to anything else, we have reason to conclude that great care is to be had of the forming of children’s minds, and giving then that seasoning early, which shall influence their lives always after… that it’s suitable to their breeding” (Locke, 1909-1914, § 32). (3) The development of character – wisdom and virtues – is not taught academically or by the use of force or corporal punishment. Character is developed by the acts of suggestion and example to create or suggest positive behaviour instead of unstructured or chaotic behaviour. This is what is meant to be positively proactive and socially responsible. It is also a good example of what is meant by the development of the 'productive citizen' or socially responsible participant within a community or society. The philosophical and critical thinking of the John Locke essays on Some Thoughts Concerning Education further writes his thoughts on the purpose of education theory, curriculum (knowledge building) and processes – to child development. Locke, the points out that one purpose or aim of education in child development is the ‘self-control and self-discipline’ of the child. This means that there must be boundaries in a discipline. There must be standards that accompany the immediate pleasures and satisfaction of desires concerning the child’s learning behaviour. Corporal punishment is not a recommended or effective solution. “As the strength of the body lies chiefly in being able to endure hardships, so also does that of the mind. And the great principle and foundation of all virtue and worth is plac’d in this: that a man is able to deny himself his own desires, cross his own inclinations, and purely follow what reason directs as best, tho’ the appetite lean the other way” (Locke, 1909-1914, § 33). It is important to consider the role of motivation in the child’s learning and development. Locke argues in his philosophical writings the child has a natural desire for self-awareness or esteem and, in turn, a good reputation. It is not the child’s nature to seek humiliation, disgrace or shame of the self. In an attempt to establish a healthy well-being and self-esteem, the child learns self-control and reflection to think and control actions and to not act innately or on crude instinct. In this way, the child will then be treated as a rational, thinking being. John Locke’s thoughts during his writings express his beliefs that the child’s motivation for living and learning is intrinsic. Motivation comes from within the self and the teaching of motivation and learning should engage the child’s interest, curiosity, enquiry. Motivation will create an intrinsic need and desire for learning. In order for principles of virtue and motivation to take place, the parental authority becomes very important – often based on fear as well as awe. Concerning motivations and learning, “under no circumstances should a child be beaten for doing wrong … nor rewarded with toys and sweets for doing what is right” (SparkNotes, LLC 4). This type of motivators make material objects the source of motivation for the child’s actions. Locke suggests the implementation of mental motivators – comments of disapproval when doing wrong and comments of warmth and praise for doing right. The emotional or psychological need to warrant esteem and avoid disgrace becomes a type of motivation that will later develop into an intrinsic sense of motivation – one that will build self-awareness. What about the content of teaching? What are the origins of knowledge and ideas? Locke expresses the view that the origins of knowledge and ideas should be dependent upon the extracurricular learning. Locke is skeptical of the value of teaching the child rhetoric (the art of persuasive speech) or logic (the principles of reasoning)... Locke questions the value and usefulness of the two schools of thought or acquisitions of knowledge. “Rhetoric, he claims, does not teach a child how to speak well, and logic does not teach a child how to reason well” (SparkNotes Editors, LLC 4). Learning the skill of storytelling and writing these stories down should be an effective method in helping the child to speak well. Learning to reason well, a child should be exposed to examples of good reasoning. This can be done by reading books illustrating or defining what reason is. John Locke’s book, Some Thoughts Concerning Education, is a stimulating collection on the critical thoughts of education. The book is categorized as a philosophical text; however reviewers have described it as a type of ‘reader’ on the topics of education. Locke takes the view that moral education is more important than other kinds of education. The goal of education is not to create a scholar, but to create a virtuous man. The aim of education is to instill what Locke calls the Principle of Virtue. This principle is the ability to discipline immediate desires and appetites in support of critical thinking and reason. According to the philosophical writings on education, the goal of education is to create in the child a discipline that responds to reason over passion. (SparkNotes on Some Thoughts, 1). Further analysis of John Locke’s beliefs on principles that should guide the education of the child includes the belief that learning should be enjoyable. Children should not hate to learn. They should love learning and playing. Perhaps the lesson is in the action the reason that children do not like or enjoy books as much as toys is in the reasoning. The child may be forced to learn and not forced to play. Learning should be a form of recreation. Among the philosophical proposals or principles of J. Locke… Children should never be forced to learn when they are not in the mood; that they should not be beaten or spoken to harshly; that they should not be lectured to, but should be engaged in conversation and that their ideas should be taken seriously the boisterous, loud and playfully unruly spirit of children should be cultivated rather than curbed. Any mischief that stems from the age rather than the character of the child should not be punished (SparkNotes, LLC 4). When considering the mind of the child, Locke recognizes that each child’s mind is different. Narratives from the child’s mind’s eye are different. The various methods or styles of learning for each child are different. Likewise, the 'multi-intelligences' (Gardner, H. 1993) of the child (spacial, inter and intrapersonal, musical, naturalistic, mathematical, linguistic) should be cultivated and appreciated for their diversity. According to Locke, a primary goal of education is to protect children against the environmental vices to which they are predisposed. By respecting and appreciating different learning styles, by teaching or instructing to the different styles of learning of each child and tailoring the educational lessons to their characters, learning can be made into an enjoyable experience for the child. Further discussions from Some Thoughts Concerning Education stress the critical importance of good work habits and good example in education. The child should be taught by the setting of good example, more so than the teaching of rules. Locke believed that the continuous enforcement of rules would cause the child to lose respect for authority. “And here give me leave to take notice of one thing I think a fault in the ordinary method of education; and that is the charging of children’s memories with rules… which they do not understand, and constantly as soon forget as given… I have seen parents heap rules on their children, that it was impossible for the poor little ones to remember a tenth of them, much less to observe them. However, they were either by words or blows corrected… when it naturally follow’d that children minded not what was said to them… Let therefore your rules to your son be as few as possible…” (Locke, 1909-1914, §64 & §65).Good work habits and good example are often exhibited by using instinct, memory and reflection. Interestingly, Locke supports the belief that the child should spend time with the parent and the tutor. School, by itself, does not provide the much needed attention that the child needs to develop reasoning and intrinsic thought. On academic learning, Locke takes a strong stance against schools. “Schools stress Greek and Latin grammar… these languages should not be a strong focus of the child’s education. When they are taught, it should be through conversation rather than memorization of rules” (John Locke, “Some Thoughts”, 2013 SparkNotes). Locke believed that students should be taught in a way that expressed the natural development of the child’s mind. During concluding thoughts and reflections in “Some Thoughts”, Locke expresses the belief that the child needs to learn a manual skill – gardening, carpentry, making of a tool. This learning of skills is a method of relaxing and refreshing the child’s mind after it has been worn out from study. “It is better to have such a skill than to be left idle”, Locke thinks. According to Locke, the developing child – the student – should experience travel. The typical age of the travel experience should be between sixteen and twenty-one. The purpose is not really so much for language acquisition as it is for the use in learning culture. Travel is for the purposes of coming to an understanding of cultural differences between the learner and others. There is a practical reason for making education pleasant, it makes the learning process that much more effective. If the child enjoys learning then he/she will really apply themselves and get much more out of lessons learned” (SparkNotes, LLC, Learning as Pleasant 64-67). Conclusion The writings of John Locke are critical compositions of literature concerning educational principles or beliefs. Much interest in the writings became prevalent when enquiry and analysis was required during the reflective and observational analysis performed during Some Thoughts on Education; Locke focuses on the power of education, both theoretically and morally. Experience leads to the growth of the mind and has stated, “… the minds of children are easily turned, this way or that, as water itself: and though this be the principal part, and our main care should be about the inside” (Locke § 2). Locke stressed the ineffectiveness of innate differences and the effectiveness of critical thinking. “We are born with faculties and powers, capable almost of anything; and it is the body, so it is the mind, practice makes it what it is” (p. 15). The importance of education was immensely important in the philosophical and epistemological essays of John Locke. There was a passion for the importance of education and Locke expressed the depth and purposiveness of its aims. “It has to fit men for life – for the world, rather than for the university. Instruction in knowledge does not exhaust it; it is essentially a training of character” (Anonymous, 2001, Section f. Educational Writing). Bibliography Austey, P. R. (2003). The Philosophy of John Locke: New Perspectives. Oxford, UK: Routledge Publishing. Ashcraft, R. (1991). John Locke: Critical Assessment. Oxford, UK: Routledge Publishing. Coleman, J. (1984). John Locke’s Moral Philosophy. The Philosophical Review (93) 4 Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple Intelligences: The theory in practice, A Reader. New York: HarperCollins. Locke, J. (MMVII). Quotes by Locke, John. [ONLINE] Available at < http://quotationsbook/quotes/author/4463/#sthash.rmrbpH8t.dpbs > accessed on 19/5/2013 Locke, J. (1909-1914). The Harvard Classics. : Some Thoughts Concerning Education. [ONLINE] Available at accessed on 19/5/2013 Lowe, E. J. (2005). Locke. Oxford, UK: Routledge Publishing. Harris, I. (1984). The Mind of John Locke: A Study of Political Theory in its Intellectual Setting. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Lamprecht, S. (1890, 1918). (Original Works). The Moral and Political Philosophy of John Locke. New York: New York: Columbia University Press. Locke, John (1825). Essays Concerning Human Understanding: Notes and Illustrations: An Analysis of Mr. Locke’s Doctrine of Ideas. London. SparkNotes Editors (n.d.) Some Thoughts Concerning Education [ONLINE] Available at < http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockethoughts/ > accessed on 19/5/2013 summary.html Unknown author/ Anonymous (2001). John Locke (1632-1704). Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (IEP). A Peer Reviewed Academic Resource. [ONLINE] Available at < http://www.iep.utm.edu/locke/ > accessed on 19/5/2013 Yolton, J. (2001). The Locke Reader. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. [ONLINE] Available at < http://plato.stanford.edu/locke/ > accessed on 19/5/2013 OR Uzgalis, W. (2001). John Locke, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2012 Edition) Edward N. Zalta (ed.). [ONLINE] Available at < http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/ fall2012/entries/locke/ > accessed on 19/5/2013 Read More