Rob Edwards
Perry V2 – John Locke, “Essay Concerning Human Understanding” and “Some Thoughts Concerning Education”
Thesis: In John Locke's “Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” he asserts that the human mind is a blank slate at birth and can the way it develops is based entirely on experience.
Human beings are not born with innate ideas divinely implanted in their minds
Rather, the mind is a blank slate, that is written on through the combination of sensations derived from contact with the world, combined with the mind's reflections on them
Sensations – our own perceptions of things we experience that is conveyed to our brain, things such as hot, cold, soft, bitter, yellow, etc.
Reflection – the ideas that we come to associate with certain sensations, such as thinking, doubting, believing, willing, reasoning, etc.
Sensation and Reason are the only originals from whence all our ideas take their beginnings
External objects furnish the mind with the ideas of sensible qualities, and the mind furnishes the understanding with ideas of its own operations
If people are provided from birth with a proper environment and education, they will become intelligent and productive citizens, because humans are not evil by nature
Thesis: John Locke, in “Some Thoughts Concerning Education,” says that education a crucial part of shaping future society, and he also presents his own views on how parents and educators should rear their children.
Education is what makes the great difference in mankind, because the impressions on our infant minds shape us for the rest of our lives
Thus, great care must go into educating young children
People must be taught from a young age to be able to submit their will to the reason of others and not be stubborn
The harsh punishment of kids isn't always the best course of action, because the people who were the most chastised as children don't turn out to be the best men
Heavily rewarding children for things must also be carefully avoided
It always helps to treat children as rational creatures and not as inferiors, but not to any extreme that would defy common sense
Most important educational lesson of all is teaching by example
No comments:
Post a Comment