Description
Outlines a program for educating children according to the precepts of Nature. Heavily influenced by Locke’s philosophy of human understanding, this 1762 treatise argues that parents should pursue a “negative education”: avoid formal schooling and rely instead on a child’s natural goodness and curiosity to guide their development. Most of the book focuses on Emile’s education, with one section devoted to Emile’s intended wife, Sophie; her education was much more restricted than his. Wildly popular, this pedagogical novel encouraged many parents to model their parenting after Enlightenment ideals. Since then, it has had a major impact on philosophies of education.
Creator
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
Publisher
Translated by Allan Bloom. New York: Basic Books, 1979.
Contributor
Roberts, Meghan
Language
French
Type
Book