ROUSSEAU’S CONCEPT ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT

UNIVERSITY OF MINDANAO DIGOS COLLEGE

JOHN ROY E. BEJONA

DECEMBER 2020
 ROUSSEAU’S CONCEPT ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT

A TERM PAPER PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF PROFESSIONAL

SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF MINDANAO DIGOS COLLEGE
DIGOS CITY

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN PHILOSOPY IN

EDUCATION (ED200)

SUBMITTED TO: VIOLA P. BUENAVENTURA, EdD

SUBMITTED BY: JOHN ROY E. BEJONA

DECEMBER 2020
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract………………………………………………………………… 1

Introduction…………………………………………………………….. 2

Review of Related Literature………………………………………….

Rousseau’s Works On Child Development………………..…

Influence On The Field Of Education ………………………..

General Critique ……………………………………………….

Conclusion………………………………………………………………

Recommendations……………………………………………………..

References……………………………………………………………….
 ABSTRACT

It is essential for anyone undertaking work with a child to understand

how children develop. Such knowledge enables the social worker to
understand how the child has reached his or her current stage of
development. Just as importantly, it provides an understanding of which
factors, among many in the child’s social environment, are most likely to
influence how the child develops in the future. This then provides a focus for
intervention as the worker will want to target those factors that are most
significant. Like most things in social work, this is easier said than done.
Four centuries of thinking about how children develop have not yielded easy
answers, but have rather revealed the complexity of various influences on
children’s lives.
 INTRODUCTION

Although most famously known for his work in philosophy, Jean

Jacques Rousseau contributed to many other areas during his lifetime. He
not only built upon contemporary moral, political, and educational thought,
but also developed the subjects of musical composition and writing. His ideas
and accomplishments preceded many historical and modern thinkers, who
use such ideas to continue to improve and expand on the fields of education,
philosophy, government, and music today.

Civilization leads humans to an unhealthy form of self-love which

centered on vanity, jealousy and pride. Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed
that this unhealthy self-love emerged when humans went to live in cities, as
they lived in ‘bad habits’, vices and in comparison. As a result, he believed
that a natural education helps in a child’s development as it encourages
happiness, wonder and spontaneity. Jean-Jacques Rousseau wanted
children not to be influenced from society; therefore, a child who is not raised
in society will emerge and grow up without any corruption. As Burman
(1994, p. 49) asks, ‘Do children grow or are they made?’ This question, now
applied to children, is essentially the same question that Western
philosophers have been asking over 2000 years about ways of acquiring
knowledge. Does true knowledge come from within (is it inborn) or can it only
be acquired through the scientific method of empirical research?
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

ROUSSEAU’S WORKS ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT

During the 18th century children were treated as miniature adults. Their
nature and basic needs were not met. Since they were treated as little men
and little women they were trained to behave and practice the same ideas as
adults. Consequently, Rousseau wanted to liberate the child. He saw the
child as different to the adult, innocent and vulnerable who deserve to be
happy and to be free. He reversed the universal order, his educational theory
consisted of the study of nature of the child. Hence, he became the inventor
of child-center education.

Through his book Émile he wrote about all of his concerns on the child
and his aims on education. He was a lover of nature thus, his teaching
consisted also on appreciation of nature. Maria Montessori was also inspired
by Rousseau ways of teaching in fact, in 1906 she opened a school named
Casa dei Bambini where she believed that education helps to bring out the
inner individuality of the children and that nature shows children new
experiences.

When he wrote his book Émile, he wrote about his ideas on education
and about the role of the society it has on children. When it appeared in 1762
it caused a great scandal. The Archbishop of Paris, saw in it a dangerous
and mischievous work and that it went against Christian Religion therefore,
he ordered the book to be burned, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau was
banished from Geneva. However, the scandal of the book attracted more
public attention and mothers were won over and began nursing their own
infant and great lords began to learn handicrafts, like Rousseau’s imaginary
pupil. Hence, it became the most significant book on education after Plato’s
Republic.
 Johann Bernhard Basedow was one of the first who wrote important
books to show that Jean- Jacques Rousseau ideas could be applied in fact,
in 1774 together with Christian Heinrich Wolke founded at Dessau an
institution which they called The Philanthropinum. It was open to pupils of
every belief and every nationality and proposed to render study easy and
pleasurable, by following the directions of nature itself.

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi too had his life transformed after reading
Emile, in 1775 he founded a school where he put in practice his progressive
and professional method of teaching that was based on Rousseau’s ideas in
his book. Pestalozzi’s work was followed by Fredrich Frobel, who founded
the primary schools or asylums known by the names of kindergartens where
his modern education was based on the children’s capabilities and their
unique needs. As a result, all these works were a fruitful development of
seed sown from Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s book Émile.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that it was possible to preserve the

original nature of the child by controlling his education and the environment
thus, the book tells about on how the child is taken from his parents and the
schools, isolated from society, and put into the hands of a tutor, who brings
him up in contact with nature’s wonders and nature’s beauties. Rousseau
divides Émile in five stages, four which deals on Émile’s education and the
last stage deals with the training of the young girl who is to become his wife.

Hence, through this imaginary student Rousseau presents his ideas on

how a child transitions through education. In Émile, Rousseau believes that
the best way a child learns is through stages.

The first stage- (birth to two years) Infancy, talks about the importance
of mothers and their role in breastfeeding their off springs, the meaning of the
infants’ tears and outcries and how to give great care and not to pamper
infants. He advises that the child should be let free and not to wear tight
clothing and to play outside to gain better understanding of nature.
 The second stage- (two till twelve) The Age of Nature, where
Rousseau wanted the child to learn through negative education that is,
learning through appreciation and experience rather than giving the
knowledge directly. Thus, Rousseau believed that books are not important as
a child who reads does not learn things but learns only words. Therefore, in
this stage curiosity takes its place and causes the activity of the mind. Here
Émile learns to handle the spade, hammer, and hoe so that these objects will
lead him to learn to count, measure and to weigh. The child is able to learn to
observe, to compare the objects and to judge distances. This is the most
important period of human life as the child is allowed to experience new
situations and to learn from mistakes.

The third Stage – (twelve till fifteen) The Age of Reason, where
Rousseau believed that only at this age that the child begins to reason. Here
the child can learn geography, history, and science. In this stage Émile had
to learn by himself and to depend on his opinions than the opinions of others.

The Fourth Stage- (fifteen to twenty) Puberty, at this stage the child is
no longer a child but sentiments began to emerge. The body, the senses and
the brain are developed thus, is ready to be educated for a life with others
and to be educated in social relationships.

The final Stage – (twenty till twenty five) Adulthood At this point Émile
encounters Sophie where he learns about love and is ready to return to
society. In brief, Rousseau discusses his beliefs on educating the young
female. He argues that females need less education and should be taught on
how to be mothers and to endure the wrongs of their husbands without
complaints.

INFLUENCE ON THE FIELD OF EDUCATION

Jean-Jacques Rousseau brought a new era in education and its

influence is evident even today. Rousseau explains that education is life itself
not a preparation for a future state. His focus is on the child and how the child
should be treated. Rousseau’s theory of education emphasized the
importance of expression to produce a well-balanced, freethinking child.  He
believed that if children are allowed to develop naturally without constraints
imposed on them by society they will develop towards their fullest potential,
both educationally and morally.  This natural development should be child-
centered and focused on the needs and experiences of the child at each
stage of development. He was against the teaching methods that they used
as he believed that children should take pleasure in their learning. He argued
that, at first the child should only play and do sports as they help to grow
heathy and strong. Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that the true motive for
learning is the desire to know and to experience it.

There are more important aspects that influenced education some of them

 Children develop through different stages thus; different types of

education must be presented to each of them.
 Every mind has its own form’ as a result education must be
individualized.
 The power of the environment, as it helps in enriching the child’s
interest by developing new opportunities and experiences.
 The important role of the educator, the one that creates the
environment to accompany the children and not to impose on their
ideas.
 The importance of the children to make sense and to develop their
own ideas through their own life experience.
 Children are naturally good; they are different to adults as they are
vulnerable and innocent.

GENERAL CRITIQUE

Jean Jacques Rousseau was criticized for his book, as some believed
that it is not wise to leave a child completely free, and to learn things from
experience as the child needs guidance during the different stages in his/her
life. Finally, some argued that a child needs to be part of a society not to be
kept away as the child can imitate and learn through society.
 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our modern society in early childhood education has been

influenced by Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s ideas. Some of his ideas lasted
throughout history whilst others have not lasted however, most of his work
has been beneficial to our modern society. Rousseau ‘s ideas are still
present in today’s educational system in terms of a natural and physically-
oriented way of learning and playing with physical objects that promote hand
and brain coordination. Other great philosophers such as Maria Montessori
built her work on his research having done great results to the child’s
wellbeing.

Therefore, today more educators and schools should incorporate Jean-

Jacques Rousseau’s timeless philosophies, they should let the child to have
more time to play and to explore on their his/her own and to prepare the child
not just academically but for life.

RECOMMENDATION
 In my opinion, things are quite the same in today’s world. We live in a
world where competition and imitation are at its best. We do not stop and
appreciate nature; we just take it for granted. We do not make use of the
opportunities that nature can give us. I do agree with Rousseau that people
lived better in forests as they appreciated nature and lived in more harmony.

Unfortunately, like in Rousseau’s time the child is never a child,

because nowadays the child is still living in a competitive life, he/she are
taught subjects that are career centered and are not growing with nature. I do
believe that during childhood, children should be let free so that they can
explore, experience and learn about the importance of life. Just as Rousseau
argues ‘To live is not merely to breathe, it is to act. It is to make use of our
organs, of our senses, of our faculties, of all the powers which bear witness
to us of our own existence. He who has lived most is not he who has
numbered the most years, but he who has been most truly conscious of what
life is.

However, I do believe that the child should not be left alone. The child
should be a part of a society as it helps the child to develop social qualities. I
do agree that the child can learn through his/her mistakes as mistakes are
teachers. Hence, just as Rousseau argues that society is evil and corrupts
the child, I do agree that society may influence the child’s wellbeing. I, as
Rousseau, am against rivalry, comparison and punishments as they lower
self-esteem and create insecurities.

What I liked about Rousseau is that at that time he realized that a

teacher’s role is to facilitate the child’s learning to be there to help in any
difficulties and to prepare them for life, not to teach children by rote. As a
parent myself, I totally agree that a mother should take her role and breast
feed her off springs and to be there for her children.

What I did not like is how he abandoned his children, as I believe that
he would have been a great father considering what he wrote and the
 influence he left behind him. What I also did not like is how he believed that
man should be strong and active whilst women should be weak and passive.

REFERENCES

Colton M., Sanders R., Williams M. (2001) Child development theory. In: An
introduction to working with children. Palgrave, London.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-91274-2_2.

https://infed.org/mobi/jean-jacques-rousseau-on-nature-wholeness-and-education/

Roopnarine,  J.  L. ,  &  Johnson,  J.  E.  (Eds. ) . (1987) .  Approaches to early
childhood education.  New York:  Merrill.